The Clandestine Affairs
by lightlacedwithbeauty
Summary: Clary Fray has been entered in Shadowhunter Academy, an exclusive place, where teens prove themselves to be called Shadowhunters. She and a partner of hers have been chosen to defeat Valentine — who has been causing an uproar in the world. (ON HIATUS.)
1. Chapter 1: Calling

**So, new story! Woohoo! I'd like to give you guys some more information about this before you start since the summary word limit cut me off. Urghh.**

**Anyway, Clary Fray has been entered in Shadowhunter Academy, an exclusive place, where teens prove themselves to be called Shadowhunters. She (and a partner of hers) have been chosen to defeat Valentine — who has been causing an uproar in the world. Will Clary and her partner be able to stop before Valentine causes a chaos to occur in the world?**

**I'm going to try my hardest to portray the characters' personalities as they are in the books, but I'm not promising anything. ;) This is going to have romance/angst/action. It's also placed in TMI world.**

**Also, you all should bow down and kiss ddpjclaf's (my AWESOME SAUCE SPREADING BETA EXTRAORDINAIRE) feet for betaing this chapter so many times. I love you. Truly, I do. I don't know what I would do without you! ;)**

**And, playlists/outfits are posted on my profile. Go check 'em out, hehehe.**

**I think that's it. I'll see you guys at the bottom. Hope you like! (:**

**Disclaimer: Mortal Instruments and all its associated characters, places and events all belong to Cassandra Clare and the copyright holders. This is a non-profit fan work and no copyright infringement is intended. Other stuff is mine, though. ;) So, no stealing! :D**

**Chapter song:**

**Get Smart Theme by Irving Szathmary, Gordon Goodwin and The Hollywood Studio Symphony (Isn't this the perfect song? I can totally see this music playing in the background when Clary enters the Academy.)**

* * *

_***The Clandestine Affairs***_

_***Chapter One: Calling***_

* * *

Clary pulled her hair from the loose ponytail she'd made earlier, letting the long, red tendrils escape. Sweat dripped from her face and onto the black tank top she wore. She squatted down, her breathing coming out in short, shallow gasps as she tried to catch her breath. A shadow passed over her body and she looked up to see a familiar face hovering above her.

"Oh, hey Simon." Clary stood and balanced on the balls of her feet, wincing as the cramps in her stomach came back.

"Hey . . ." Simon paused. "I can't believe you won that race!" Simon handed her a bottle filled with cold water.

Clary rolled her eyes. "Thanks for having such confidence in me. It's really encouraging, you know." She grabbed the bottle and took a long swig from it. Deciding she needed some over her body, she poured it on her head.

"It's what I do." Simon watched the other girls finish the race — some jogging, others walking, and several even crawling. Simon raised his brows, and looked back at Clary.

"How did you win this race by a mile again?" Simon asked.

"Not by a mile, smart one. It was more like a few seconds."

"Oh yeah? Then how come, on my phone, it says that you did?" Simon pulled out his phone and showed it to Clary.

She peered at the tiny screen. "That's because you texted my mom telling her I won by a mile. I can't believe . . ." Clary trailed off, shaking her head.

"What? I had to tell your mom the good news."

"No, it's just . . ." Clary tried to stifle her laugh. "I can't believe you have my mom's phone number!"

"What? It's not a crime," he grumbled.

Clary couldn't hold back her laughter this time. She playfully punched Simon on his arm, eliciting a groan from him again. Simon started to laugh then, putting an arm around his best friend.

"Next time, I'm kidnapping you from whichever camp you went to for the entire summer. It's not fair to keep best friends away from each other for three whole months. In fact, I don't even think it's legal."

"Fine, fine." Clary playfully shoved him. "I'm going to take a shower so I'll be back in a few, okay? I'll meet you by the bus stop."

"Yeah, you do smell." He wrinkled his nose.

Clary punched him again and laughed. "Shut up," she said, before both of them parted their own ways.

ζ:Ω:ζ:Ω:ζ

Clary stopped at her locker before making her way to the shower stalls. The locker was cramped with gym shorts, shirts, socks, and shoes. On top of her shorts was a bag. Furrowing her brows, she pulled out it. Clary shook the contents out of the bag, coming out with a cream colored elastic tie back tee, a white lace skirt, taupe leather ballet flats, and a note . . . from Jocelyn.

_Sweetie,_

_I bought these clothes for you for a special occasion tonight. Don't worry, it's with Luke, but it's in a fancy hotel so I thought this would be perfect for you._

_I'll see you at home._

_Love you,_

_Mom_

Clary remembered her mom telling her this morning about the dinner tonight. Jocelyn had said something about "good news coming her way", but Clary suspected it didn't have anything to do with going to Europe. Her mom would never allow her to go anywhere — even for school field trips. Although she knew her mom was protecting her from whatever Jocelyn thought was out there, but honestly, she was being too protective.

Shaking her thoughts away, Clary scooped up her clothes and shoes, and went to take a cold shower.

A few minutes later, she came out — her bright-red hair dripping down her new shirt. She made her way to the long, rectangular mirror on the wall and proceeded to tame the wild tangles.

When finished, she picked up her bag and left the bathroom, glancing back once to make sure she looked decent.

ζ:Ω:ζ:Ω:ζ

Clary walked in the direction of the bus stop near her school track field. She soon reached the bus stop, spying Simon sitting on the curb of the sidewalk. Clary went to sit down beside him.

Simon turned to his friend with a smile. "Hey Cla— Whoa."

"I know," Clary agreed. "It's my mom. We have to go to this fancy hotel with Luke for dinner. Hence, this." She pointed to her outfit.

Simon nodded, understanding. "It looks good on you. Much better than those shorts you were wearing."

Clary gaped then punched him playfully. "Liar."

They burst into a fit of laughter. A few people passed them, giving them strange looks. While some walked alone, others sauntered by young children trotting along beside.

"Speaking of . . ." said Simon, breaking through the silence, "you never told me what you did at camp. Did you play poker? Pull pranks on the camp counselors? Or drool over the cute guys?"

Clary gasped in mock surprise. "How did you know?"

"I've been to plenty of camps, Fray. I know what goes on there."

"You drool over half-naked guys?" Clary raised her brows.

"Nah, girls," he said nonchalantly.

Clary's mouth dropped open.

"Kidding, just kidding, Clary . . . You didn't really think that happened, did you?"

Clary tried to stifle her giggle. "I don't know, Simon. Maybe—"

The sharp buzz of her phone cut her off. She held up one finger and picked up the phone that sat beside her on the asphalt, peering at the screen. Heart pounding, she opened the text and quickly glanced at it before shoving it back in her pocket. _They need me._

A small smile flickered across Clary's lips. She turned back to her best friend, and opened her mouth to speak when his phone buzzed as well.

"One sec," he muttered before looking at the screen. "Gotta take this one." He pulled the phone up to his ear.

Clary noticed his brows furrow in confusion, then he nodded, before putting his phone away.

"Who was that?" Clary asked, quirking her eyebrows.

Simon stared out at the empty space in front of him, purposely avoiding eye contact with Clary. His forehead creased with worry. She could see tiny iridescent particles floating across his face as if not having a care in the world — which they probably didn't since they were particles. "Just . . . someone," he mumbled.

Clary could tell from his posture that he wouldn't allow anymore questions about the phone call.

Suddenly remembering the text message she'd gotten earlier, Clary abruptly stood up. She had to get to the place . . . as soon as possible.

"Clary?" Simon looked up at her with a confused expression.

"Sorry, Simon. My mom's waiting and I don't want to be late."

Simon's face fell. "Oh, okay. I'll see you soon?"

Clary flashed a grin at him. "Of course. We definitely need to hang out and play Dungeons and Dragons."

His eyes widened. "Really?" Simon stood up and gave his best friend a bear hug. "Be ready to get pummeled!"

Clary laughed. "In your dreams!"

Clary's phone buzzed again. "Crap. I really have to go. See you later, Simon!"

"Later."

With that, Clary started running toward a pathway in the woods near the school. The brush of warm, humid air stung her eyes. Her wet hair billowed about her face, concealing the way toward her destination.

She wondered why they were calling her in the middle of July. Usually, Shadowhunter Academy — better known as Camp Angel Blood for parents and other mundanes — didn't call their "special" Shadowhunter teens unless something was very, very wrong. And, just to set Clary even more on edge, her intuition agreed with her reasoning. Something certainly was wrong. Terribly wrong.

ζ:Ω:ζ:Ω:ζ

Clary soon reached the pond that had become very familiar to her in the last few years. The sun was slowly setting behind the horizon, creating an atmosphere of buttery warm light. The wind, barely noticeable now, still rustled her hair once in a while.

Stepping up to the pond, Clary saw her reflection wavering in the tiny wavelets. She remembered the first time she was shown the pond. At first, she thought it was a joke — there couldn't be a building _underneath_ the pond. That was completely ludicrous. The water was an ugly murky yellow shade tinted with green debris floating around on the surface. Closing her eyes, Clary tried to remember the words she was supposed to say in order to get to the Academy.

_I am Clary Fray, one of the Nephilim, and I ask entrance to the Academy—_

Everything around her was suddenly still. The muted chirping of the birds was gone, the wind that gently caressed her face stopped, and the few people that were strolling behind her also vanished. When Clary looked at the pond, it was as still as if a layer of ice covered it, trapping the underwater creatures beneath.

Clary tentatively stepped onto the water, wishing fervently the phrase worked — even though she could have just pressed the palm of her hand against the water, and cleared her thoughts to enter the Academy. But she liked it better this way since it was fun to walk on water rather than sinking in it. Instead of dwelling on the negative thoughts that were starting to swirl in her mind, Clary looked down. A smile stretched across her face. She was standing on the water. Her flats weren't soaked — which she was grateful for because she didn't want to explain this to Jocelyn, especially since the Shadowhunter Academy was top secret.

Clearing all the thoughts from her mind, Clary set out to walk to the middle of the pond. She liked the feel of the water swaying slightly beneath her feet. When she reached the center, she paused, trying to recall the next step. With anguish, she remembered. This was the only part she didn't like about this way to the Academy.

Clary slowly closed her eyes and took a deep breath before feeling an instant pull of gravity. When she hit something hard, she gasped as the air whooshed out of her. A dull pain started at her side. She rolled onto her back and slowly stood up, rubbing her injured arm.

The place around her was just as she remembered. On one side, thick vines cascaded down from the ceiling, twisting around one another in a tight weave, creating a curtain which hid the entrance to the Seelie Court. Whereas on her left stood an ordinary brown, wood door, covering access to the Academy. It was plain enough that not even a mundane — should one ever be brought down there — would notice it.

"Welcome back." She heard a male voice come up from behind her, interrupting her inspection.

Clary jumped and turned to find Meliorn looking at her. A smile played across his lips. He stepped closer to Clary, making her automatically move back.

"Thanks." She offered him a small smile. "I actually have to get to the Academy – it's urgent, but it's nice seeing you again."

"Oh." His beautiful face fell a little. "I missed you."

Clary's breath caught. She never thought Meliorn would ever say that since their breakup. But here he was, as beautiful as a faerie could be, telling her he missed her. _Damn it._ Clary knew she shouldn't have dated him, but somehow, he'd lured her in and . . . it all was downhill from there. Nobody knew about them dating, Clary had made sure of that. But she didn't want anything to start again. Those feelings she had for him were long again. She now thought of him as nothing more than a friend. Unfortunately for her, he didn't get the hint.

Clary allowed a little annoyance to seep in her voice. "Meliorn, I've missed you too. But can we talk later? I've really got to go—"

He held his hands up in surrender. "Okay, later."

Without waiting for him to speak any further, Clary fled from the place. She quickly pressed her palm to the door. It gave a satisfactory beep before it swung wide open.

"Ah, Clary." She heard from her left side as she walked in.

She turned to find a sparkling Magnus standing a few feet away from her. He hadn't changed one bit. Pink and gold glitter covered almost every inch of exposed skin. He wore jeans and a pink button up shirt with multiple buckles. He looked at Clary with a steady smile.

"We've missed you around here."

Clary nodded, smiling. "I've missed it, too. Haven't been here in a few years. I'm surprised I still remembered the phrase to get me in."

Clary recollected the thoughts of when she first stumbled upon this place by accident. Actually, it wasn't exactly an "accident". Her mother, Jocelyn, wanted Clary to join a camp — for something to do during summer, she'd said. Jocelyn signed Clary up for Camp Angel Blood thinking it was a miscellaneous camp. Clary couldn't blame her — the camp said it had everything . . . from painting to hiking to summer school. Instead, Clary was in for a shock.

The first day she had karate lessons, she kicked ass, leaving everybody completely breathless and bruised. The next day she went on to level two, then three . . . and pretty soon, she was known as the best at karate.

It was a few weeks later that they told her she was officially in the Shadowhunter Academy. An exclusive place where only skilled teens were allowed and were given real save-the-world type missions.

The "teachers" at the Academy told her she'd get a chance to go out and do something good for the world, but it would take some time. They would contact her after she had her full training to get her mission. At first, Clary thought that was bull. Really, "do something good for the world" was the cheesiest thing she'd heard in her life — until she knew they weren't kidding around. This was the real deal. And—

"That's your Angel blood kicking in again. Now come, we've got to meet the Boss about this urgent matter." Magnus' voice interrupted her thoughts.

He motioned her to follow with a wave of his hand.

Clary matched his pace easily. She noticed a few things had changed around the Academy. For one thing, rows and rows of computers were set up everywhere, with magical beings sitting in front of them. Clary suspected most were Shadowhunters, but others could have been Warlocks — like Magnus — Werewolves, and even vampires. All kinds of species were welcomed at the Academy, even though most of the world didn't even know they existed.

The Academy contained a myriad of rooms. Some Clary passed were for "newbies" — as the elders like to call them. The "newbies" learned how to handle seraph blades, swords, daggers, and even steles. Clary remembered all too well how her first day had gone. She was bruised everywhere, even bleeding in some places. She had thought it would only get better from there, but to her dismay, it didn't. When she'd passed the first stage, Handling Weapons, she moved on to the next — Demon Hunting.

The name itself had sent a shudder through her body. Though she had been assured the demons they were supposed to hunt and kill during training weren't as gruesome as the ones in real life, she still didn't feel comfortable with them. Nevertheless, Clary kept trying. She wanted to impress the Boss – that's what people called him. Despite the fact she'd never met the Boss, except to welcome her into the Academy, she knew all the news about newbies went to him. About how they reacted to each other, and about how well they were handling the tough situations they were put into sometimes.

"Finally here," Magnus announced.

Clary glanced around to find herself in a giant room. The sofas were pushed against the wall. Pictures of Angels and Demons fighting — but the Angel winning at the end in every fight — were put up on the wall. A huge chandelier hung in the middle of a room, creating an opalescent atmosphere. There was also a long, and incredibly huge wooden table with someone sitting on a chair beside it.

With sudden realization, she realized it was the Boss. Stephen Herondale. His blond head hung, looking at something in front of him.

Magnus cleared his throat. "Agent Fray is here."

Stephen's head snapped up. An easy-going smile lit up his face. "Agent Fray. We've been expecting you. Come, sit." He motioned to the seats in front of him.

Clary cautiously made her way over and sat down, actually feeling happy she'd dressed formally since the Boss was wearing an elegant white suit.

Stephen opened his mouth to speak when Magnus interrupted.

"Beg your pardon, Boss. But, am I the bellboy now?"

Stephen looked at Magnus, furrowing his brows. "No, Agent Bane. Why would you say that?"

"Well, for the past year or so, all I've been doing is bringing Agents to you."

Boss' voice grew sharp. "You know you'll get your chance soon, Agent."

Magnus nodded, a grin spreading across his face. "Just making sure." With that, he strolled out of the room.

Stephen rubbed his temples in frustration, sighing. Then, slowly he looked at Clary.

"I had Magnus call you here," he started without a preamble.

Clary nodded then held up her phone for evidence. She traced the last few words on the screen which read: _C'mon Clary-ary-ary. Love, Magnus._

Stephen chuckled. "Magnus will always be Magnus. Anyway, I haven't invited you here for a friendly visit. We have some important matters to discuss. First, Valentine has finally come back. We've been waiting for him for almost a decade now, but he's back. And we have a feeling something terrible is coming our way soon."

Clary swallowed hard, then bobbed her head.

"The only information I have collected is very little. All we know is that he is traveling to the seven most magic heavy places in the world, and is planning to capture three of the most powerful demons and supernatural creatures there. He has already hit three of the seven and has nine (beings) in his possession."

Clary raised her hand hesitantly.

"You don't need to raise your hand." Stephen smiled. "But, yes?"

"How do you know all this?"

Stephen hesitated for a second before answering. "We have a spy working with Valentine. But I think Valentine is a little suspicious of him, which is why he hasn't been discussing this with him anymore."

"What happens when Valentine knows for sure that he's a spy?"

Stephen's voice was grave, his face clean of expression. "He will die."

Clary didn't know what to say, so she stayed quiet.

"Anyhow, let's not think about that right now. The board of Shadowhunter Academy and I have decided it's time to let _your_ generation try to fix this problem. I know it's very risky, but I don't think Valentine will pay as much attention to teen agents as he did with the adult ones."

He shuffled a few papers on his desk. "You will be getting a partner in this, of course. You will fight side by side, and hopefully bring Valentine down."

"But . . . why me? I'm just a regular old—"

"Agent Fray, you're one of the best female Shadowhunters I've ever seen. You and your partner will be the perfect compliments to each other."

Clary waited for the Boss to tell her who her partner was, but he didn't.

"Is . . . um, my _partner_ . . . here yet?"

Stephen shook his head. "Not yet. He'll be here in a few minutes. But, let me warn you, he has a bit of an attitude." _He?_

"Oh, um, that's okay. I think I'll be able to handle it."

"Good, because . . ." He checked his watch then looked back up. "Jace is here."

"Wait, you mean Jace? As in _the_ Jace? Jace Wayland?"

"Would there be any other Jace's around here?"

Clary opened her mouth to speak when she heard a voice.

"Boss, Jace is here." A voice called from behind her.

Clary swiveled in her chair, her eyes landing on a tall, lean boy dressed completely in black, with a mess of blond curls, and the most fascinating tawny eyes she'd ever seen. She noticed the cool glare of appraisal and the quickness of his fury plain across his face.

Only one thought flitted across her mind, but it wasn't at all what she'd expected it to be: _He is beautiful._

* * *

_Hmmm. Reviews would be nice. (:_

_P.S.: I will be posting a teaser for the next chapter sometime soon on my tumblr account. Make sure to check that out, too. ;)_


	2. Chapter 2: Revelation

**So, before you yell or shake your fist at me, read this chapter. Then you can give me all the gruesome punishments. Deal?**

**Disclaimer: Mortal Instruments and all its associated characters, places and events all belong to Cassandra Clare and the copyright holders. This is a nonprofit fan work and no copyright infringement is intended. Other stuff is mine, though. ;) So, no stealing! :D**

**By the way, the food people order in the later scene. . . I don't think that's served in that particular restaurant. So, don't quote me on that.**

**Chapter songs:**

**I've Gotta Feeling by Black Eyed Beans**

**Amazing (feat. Young Jeezy) by Kanye West (last part [Okay, I have to admit, this songs makes me really feisty! Hence why this was chosen for the last scene]).**

* * *

_***The Clandestine Affairs***_

_***Chapter Two: Revelation***_

* * *

"Agent Wayland. Good to have you back." Stephen stood and came around his desk to greet Jace.

Jace narrowed his eyes and shook the Boss' hand once, before dropping it and crossing his arms over his chest. "Couldn't you have called me some other time? I was at football practice." He gestured to the black jersey tucked in his shorts. "We have a game coming up in two weeks and we need to practice. It would be better if we got this 'urgent' matter over with as quickly as possible."

Clary stared as Jace came to sit beside her, ignoring her completely. Never had a Shadowhunter talked to Stephen this way. Everyone knew — even newbies — to talk to the Boss in a respectful manner. But this . . . this _Jace Wayland_ . . . he was different. Clary could tell from his posture and expression that he was unlike anyone she'd ever met before.

Nevertheless, she glanced over to their Boss worriedly. To Clary's surprise, Stephen's expression was exactly as it had been before Jace walked in the room. No sign of aggravation or anger showed on his face. Instead, he walked back to his chair, and sat down. "Thank you, Agent Bane, for bringing in Agent Wayland."

Magnus nodded curtly before leaving the room, shutting the door softly behind him.

"As you'd said earlier, Agent Wayland, it's better if we discuss this matter as quickly as possible. But, I'm afraid your football practice will have to wait a few . . . months."

From the corner of her eye, Clary noticed Jace's mouth drop open, disbelief and rage plain on his face.

The same feelings surged through her veins. She didn't know what was going on or _why_ she was at the Academy after all these years, let alone know what the Boss was talking about.

"Let me explain before either of you start asking questions. I've informed both of you about . . . the Valentine case. Instead of calling it the "Valentine case", the staff and I prefer we call it 'Clandestine Affairs' for safety purposes."

Jace chuckled and laced his fingers behind his head. "Fitting. That way _no_ one will suspect a _thing_."

Stephen raised a brow in Jace's direction. "Would you prefer another name, Agent Wayland?"

"If you want to keep it Clandestine Affairs then why not call it 'CA'? It's shorter and people won't suspect anything of it."

Boss rubbed his chin. "I . . . I'll think about it. Right now, we have more important matters to discuss. First off—"

"I'm here, Agent Herondale! I'm here!"

Clary whipped her head to find her best friend, Simon, standing a few feet behind her, panting. When their eyes met, Simon's widened.

"_Clary_? What are you doing here?"

She raised a brow. "That's the exact question I was thinking to ask you."

"Have a seat, Agent Lewis. Did you see anybody else in the lobby? Someone with black hair?" Simon swallowed, and plopped down on the other side of Clary. His eyes widened even more when he saw Jace.

He looked at Stephen, his brows furrowed. "Um, yes?"

"Is that a question or a statement?"

"A . . . a statement."

Stephen nodded. "We can wait a few minutes before getting to our meeting."

Clary chanced a peek at Simon, but he was looking straight ahead. His fists clenched and unclenched. Clary raised a brow. _Why was Simon here? And how was he, of all people, at the Academy? She never suspected this from him . . . why didn't he tell her? _Why did he seem so nervous? Stephen wasn't going to scold him for being late. In fact, she'd never heard anything bad about Stephen.

"Sorry I'm late. Got caught in traffic. And a few faeries needed some . . . help."

Clary turned, her eyes falling on a girl close to her age. She wore blue fitted jeans, a matching top and clad black boots. Her long black hair hung straight down her back, reaching almost to her waist.

"Isabelle, I told you not to—" Stephen started.

"I know, I know. 'Don't help faeries under any circumstances'. I won't do it again. Promise."

"Good. Have a seat beside Simon."

The Boss motioned her over and Simon's mouth dropped open as Isabelle sat down beside him. Clary fought back a grin. Simon would _always_ be Simon. He wouldn't stop checking out a girl until she yelled at him. Or slapped him. Both of which had happened before.

"Now we can start from the very beginning." Stephen reached for his cup of coffee, placing it in front of him. "The information about the . . . _CA_," Stephen glanced at Jace, a smile tweaking at the corner of Stephen's lips, "is on your monitor screen."

Clary looked at the Boss, her eyebrows raised. Suddenly, a_ vrooming_ sound erupted from underneath the table. A slim, wide, black screen rose from inside the wooden table, stopping at Clary's eye level. It lit up, revealing a page filled with profiles of herself, Jace, Simon, and Isabelle.

Curiously, Clary pulled her hand up to the screen and clicked on Jace's name. His profile appeared - and it contained only a few things about him. His birthday, which was just a few months away - March third - along with his favorite hobbies and his bio. Almost abruptly, the screen shifted to a different page. It was a map of the world with several red dots on distinct places.

"The red dots you all see on your monitor are the places Valentine has already hit. As I've said before, he has captured nine magical beings and we're sure he's on the move for the next ones."

"Why aren't you stopping him?" Isabelle asked, her brows rising.

The Boss smiled sadly. "We can't. That's the problem. We don't know when he's going to strike next or where, for that matter. It would solve a lot of problems if we did."

It was quiet for a minute before Simon spoke up.

"How do you know he'll strike again?" His voice was shaky. He raised his trembling hand and pushed his glasses up his bridge of his nose.

"We have a spy that is very close to Valentine. But recently, we haven't gotten any further information, which worries me."

Nobody said a word. It got so quiet Clary could hear herself breathe in and out. Trying to focus her mind on something other than the matter at hand, she glanced up at the monitor. Surely something on the map could help them out. Clary clicked on the screen, zooming in on one of the red dots. The dot was on Churchill. It zoomed in until three distorted-looking figures stood. Demons. Under them, written in italics, were their names. _Asmoday. Azazel. Berith._ With dismay, Clary realized she recognized those names. They were very dangerous demons. Some of the most powerful on the planet. In the back of her mind, warning bells rang. She remembered reading about the demons, but she knew they were part of something bigger other than killing people. Clary knew she'd have to try to find out about what was nagging her about the names. Until then, all she could do was try to look for more clues.

Clary clicked on another red dot. This time it was in Havana.

Jace finally spoke up, interrupting. "He wants to make his mark across the world. V, for Valentine. It's a bit unoriginal on his part."

Stephen glanced up, surprise clear on his face. "How do you know?"

"Because, it just makes sense. He seems like one to want to make a mark on the world." Jace pressed his index finger to the screen, focusing in on the entire world. He traced his fingers around the dots, creating a 'V' on the map.

"All right, that makes sense. But what about the killings? How do we know where he'll strike next or when?" Izzy asked.

"He killed three demons on November first, 2009, in Canada. His next kill was in Havana, on the twenty-third of December, 2009. And the last killing, I believe . . ." Jace scanned his monitor. "Yep, just as I'd suspected. February tenth, 2010."

"Jace, that still doesn't make sense," Isabelle pointed out.

"At least use a little bit of that brain of yours, Izzy. The first killing was November first, in 2009. Now, add up the numbers."

"What do you mean?" Simon asked for the first time.

Everybody else was still befuddled.

"November. It's the eleventh month," Stephen muttered. "November first . . . Add up the numbers: It's the first day of the eleventh month, so eleven plus one. Twelve. Then the year: two, plus zero, plus zero, plus nine. Eleven. Add eleven plus twelve and what do you get? Twenty-three."

"Right." Jace nodded. "The next month, the kill happened on the twenty-third. When the outcome of the addition rises above thirty-one, he adds them together. Like the last one. Twenty-three plus twelve plus two plus nine. What do you get?"

"Fourty-six!" Simon piped up.

He grinned at Clary, tapping his forehead. She rolled her eyes in response.

"Good job, Nerd Boy. But the dates in the months only go up to thirty-one, at the most. So he added up the numbers. Four plus six."

"Ten . . . February tenth," Stephen whispered.

"Wow. Genius," Clary said, impressed, unable to hold back her comment.

Jace leaned back in his chair, a smug smile stretching across his face. "I know."

"Brilliant work, Agent Wayland. I never thought Valentine could be so . . ."

"Mathematical?" Jace suggested. "Yeah, neither did I."

"I was going to say methodical, but mathematical works as well. Thank you, Agent. You have done well. This helps us move toward our goal." Stephen shuffled a few papers in front of him before he spoke again. "You all have been called here for a reason. A mission."

"What kind?" Izzy placed a hand under her chin and raised her brows.

"This will be an international mission, Agent Lightwood." Stephen smiled sadly at her.

Clary's mouth dropped open. How could she travel _around the world_ when Jocelyn wouldn't even allow her to go to a store by herself? In fact, she couldn't even think about that question because how was she going to explain all of this to her mother?

Jace stood abruptly, his chair flying backwards in the process. "What are you talking about, Boss?" His voice was muted, but deadly.

"I told you this when you joined us, Agent. You will have to give up a few things along the way."

Jace opened his mouth to reply, but Stephen held his hand up. "I know you have your own priorities — especially with the quarterback position and all — congrats on that, by the way — but, this is the entire _world's_ safety we're talking about here." Stephen turned to look at each of them. "I need you all for this mission. You have been chosen for a reason. Either because of your intellect, creativity, or just for being a great Shadowhunter. This will be the hardest mission you have ever been on. Before we continue, I need all of your consents on this. The mission can't start until everybody approves."

The first one to agree was Izzy. "Count me in. Life's too boring without adventures, anyway."

Next was Simon, then Clary, even though she had no idea how she'd explain all this to Jocelyn.

Jace was the last one to give in. Clary wondered what his problem was. Wasn't the world's safety more important than playing football?

When Clary turned her attention back to Stephen, she saw a look of relief cross his face.

"I cannot thank you enough for agreeing to this dangerous task." Stephen picked up his coffee and took a sip out of it, then situated it back on the desk. "Now to the more . . . entertaining topic of the evening. As mentioned before, the staff and I have already chosen whom your partners will be. Simon with Isabelle, and Jace with Clarissa."

Jace quirked a brow. "Who, by the Angel, is Clarissa?"

Clary felt the air in her lungs whoosh out of her, leaving her slightly breathless. How did he not know who that was? She was sitting right beside him and he didn't even notice whom she was.

Stephen's brows raised in response. "The girl you're sitting beside, Agent Wayland. That is your partner."

He slowly turned his head toward Clary. She could feel Jace's gaze run lazily up and down her. A slight shiver went through her body when he reached her eyes.

"_Her?_" Jace asked, incredulously. "But she's a little girl!"

Disbelief washed over Clary. "I am _not_ a little girl," she said bitterly. Folding her arms across her chest, she continued, "I turned sixteen a few months ago."

A sluggish smile pulled up at the corner of Jace's lips. "Sixteen? Are you sure? You seem as if you could be . . ." he trailed off, biting his bottom lip. "Thirteen. Or fourteen, at the most."

Anger sparked inside Clary. But before she could volley back an answer, her best friend did it for her.

"I think she would know what her correct age is, don't you think, Agent Wayland?"

Clary shot a grateful glance toward Simon.

"All right, Agents, enough. I have one more request to make before I set you all free. Tomorrow, at ten o' clock in the morning, meet me in the training room. We have tasks set up for you all for the mission. The first one will be dueling each other. The other task, I will explain tomorrow."

Everybody nodded in agreement, then got up to leave. Clary waited for Simon, but he held up a finger, indicating he'd join her in a minute. With a shrug, Clary retraced the path back to the main entrance. A slight twinge started in the pit of her stomach, making her wonder why. Was it because of the mission? Or was it because of . . . Jace? Clary shook her head. Why would she even be thinking about him? He had dismissed her as if he hadn't a care in the world. He didn't even notice her, let alone talk to her. Why was _she_ thinking about _him_, then?

"Agent Fray?" A voice called from behind her.

Clary turned to see Isabelle striding toward her, her hair swishing around her like black rain falling around her body.

"Yes?"

Isabelle came to a stop in front of her, and then boldly stuck her hand out. "We didn't get to introduce ourselves back there, so let me be the first one to do so. I'm Isabelle. Or Izzy. Or Iz. Doesn't matter." She laughed.

Clary smiled and shook her hand. "I'm Clarissa, Clary for short. Nice to meet you."

The other girl shot her a grin. "You too. Look, just so you know . . . back there, with Jace . . . don't mind him, okay? He's a bit of a hot head and a jerk."

Clary grimaced a little before answering. "It's all right. I don't mind."

Isabelle raised her brows. "You don't? Are you sure? Because if you do, then by all means, you can slap him."

Clary laughed. "I'll keep that in mind."

"Clary? Clary? Clary! There you are!"

Simon came running down the hall, all the while pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose, then stopped in front of Clary and Isabelle. He bent down and panted.

"Oh, hey, Simon. Have you met Izzy?"

He straightened up quickly and glanced at Isabelle. "Uh . . . n-no. Hi."

Izzy gave him a small smile. "Hey."

They stood there awkwardly for a second before Clary glanced at her cell phone. Her eyes widened.

"Simon, I have to meet Mom and Luke in fifteen minutes!"

"Crap. You're late!"

Clary rolled her eyes. "Thank you, Captain Obvious."

He grinned. "You're welcome, Sergeant Sarcasm."

Clary giggled, and then glanced at her phone again. "Can we leave? Mom's going to kill me if I don't get there soon."

Simon nodded. The three Shadowhunters bid each other goodbye and went on their way. Clary and Simon walked until they came to the door to the main entrance. He raised his hand and pressed it in the middle of the door. It sounded with a satisfied click and swung open.

Simon motioned for Clary to go first. "After you, Madame."

She laughed. "Thank you, kind sir."

Her best friend followed, and soon they reached the place where Clary had seen Meliorn.

"Hey . . . Clary? Why didn't you ever tell me about this?"

"Why didn't you?" she asked back.

"Good point. But now you've got to spill everything about it."

Clary rolled her eyes. "Of course, Simes. As soon as we hang out."

"Promise?" He stuck out his pinky finger, waiting.

Clary giggled. "Promise," and she hooked his with her own.

"Okay, well . . . Up I go. See you in a few seconds." Simon grinned, closed his eyes, and shot up in the air like a bullet.

The space previously occupied by Simon was now empty. Clary sighed and closed her eyes. A mental image of the pond emerged into her mind: the crisp, fall leaves floating on the turbid water. The small wavelets formed and glided on top. She felt herself shoot up like a bud sprouting into a flower. Clary burst through the water, landing on the ground beside Simon, he was drenched from head to toe. Simon shook his head so that water sprayed from his hair and onto Clary.

She squealed, moving away from him. "Why did you let the water drench you? You know perfectly well it can't harm us in any way unless we order it to. Besides . . . That. Water. Is. Cold. And gross!"

"Oh, yeah? Cold, huh? You want more of that?" Simon strode toward her with strong and confident steps, shaking his head once more.

Another squeak slipped past her mouth. "No, no! No more!" Clary giggled. "Simon! I've got to get—"

"Relax, chica," Simon said, still striding toward her, "I called Eric to come pick us up."

Clary quirked her brows and raised her hands up in surrender. "I'm sorry, but did I just hear you call me 'chica'?"

Her best friend shrugged and gave her a smile. "Is there a problem with that? Don't friends call each other 'chica' or 'chico', or something of that sort?"

Clary fought back a grin and crossed her arms over her chest. "Yeah, but . . . girls mostly say that."

Simon blinked. "Did you just call me a _girl_? Oh, it's so on now, Fray. So. On."

He started toward her but not before Clary quickly ran to the pond, gathered up water in her hands and threw it at Simon. He was about to splash some at her, too, but not before a horn beeped and both of them turned to find Eric's beat-up van standing by the curb.

"Race ya," Simon said, running off like a bullet.

Clary contemplated for a moment before dashing after Simon, easily gaining on him. She reached the car first, Simon coming in after her.

"How are you so fast?" He gasped for air.

Clary smiled angelically. "Oh, I'm just a vampire in disguise." She turned around to knock on Eric's window, letting him know to unlock the doors.

Simon opened the door and motioned her in. "I knew it was something like that." He climbed in after her, and pushed the doors closed.

"Hey, guys," Eric greeted.

Clary opened her mouth to respond, but Simon was already replying. "Hey, Eric. Thanks for the ride, man."

"No problemo. Although I was wondering why you asked me to come here, of all places. I thought you guys would be at Pandemonium? And Simon, why are you drenched from head to toe?"

"Because Clary here splashed water at me. Anyway, it is an odd place, but fun to play hide and seek in. We thought that might be better than going to Pandemonium tonight."

Clary laughed. "Yes, we just love to play hide and seek."

"I see." Eric cracked a smile. "So, where to?"

"White Fence Farm. My mom and Luke are meeting us there."

Eric nodded, then drove off into the breaking dusk.

ζ:Ω:ζ:Ω:ζ

Eric's van pulled to a stop in front of the restaurant. Clary quickly thanked Simon and Eric for dropping her off and was soon on her way inside the restaurant.

When she entered, she noticed the place was crowded with servers bustling about to all the tables they were waiting on. Above each booth hung a magnificent chandelier, the tiny iridescent lights reflected off from it to the walls around them. Clary spotted her mom and Luke seated in the middle of the room.

Clary walked over, maneuvering between the waiters and people.

"Clary!" Jocelyn stood as soon as Clary made her way toward her.

When Clary reached her mom and Luke, Jocelyn continued, "Thank goodness you're here." A look of relief passed over her face. "I thought maybe you didn't get my— "

"Mom," Clary interrupted, smiling, "it's all right. I got the message and everything." Clary pointed to her outfit.

Jocelyn smiled in response.

"Glad you could make it, Clary. Your mother wouldn't stop asking about you," Luke joked. Jocelyn's cheeks tinged with a faint blush and she looked down.

"All right. Before you tell me the "news" — whatever that might be — can we order some food? I'm _starving_," Clary said, picking up the menu and looking over it quickly, her stomach growling.

"Sure, sweetie."

Clary peeked over the menu, raising her brows at what she saw. Jocelyn shared a menu with Luke, scooting closer to him. Since when did Jocelyn get close to Luke? Never before had she seen her mother sitting _this_ close to him. What was going on?

The waiter came a few minutes after, distracting Clary's mind from the issue at hand, and took their orders. Clary ordered an Indonesian Peanut Sauté. Luke ordered Pad Thai whereas her mom chose Pesto Cavatappi.

The waiter took away their menus, silence hanging thick around them. In the background, Clary could hear people talking about things ranging from movies to school. She wondered what exactly she would be talking about with Luke and Jocelyn. They hadn't hinted to her about anything yet, but she had a feeling it would be good news. That tonight would be a good night — no matter what the news might be.

"I think it's time," Luke whispered to Jocelyn.

She glanced up and saw her mother shaking a little. "Mom? What's wrong?" she asked, alarmed, and started to stand.

Jocelyn waved her to sit down and swallowed hard.

"I'll handle this, Jocelyn." Luke patted her hand.

Confusion filled Clary's mind. "Will someone explain to me what's happening?"

Luke smiled. "We . . . your mom and I . . . are getting married."

Clary's mouth dropped open. "You . . . Her . . . What? When did you propose?"

"This morning. We would have told you earlier, but we didn't know how to go about it."

Almost immediately, Clary's eyes drew to her mother's fourth finger. She identified the engagement ring. It was simple, but sophisticated. The band split two-thirds of the way around into two "V" shaped prongs, meeting once more to surround two small diamond studs in the center.

Clary let out a slow sigh. "Wow. That is beautiful."

"That's what I said when Luke gave it to me," said Jocelyn, slightly smug.

Luke grinned, laugh lines fanning out around his eyes.

"When are you getting married?" Clary reached for her glass of water and downed it in a few seconds.

"Well . . ." Jocelyn trailed off, glancing at Luke before meeting her daughter's curious gaze. "I got an email today from your school, Clary. They said you will be gone for at least six months, traveling to different places — and getting educated from the variety of places, which I do not approve of. I am going to have to talk to the school about this. But, because I don't want to rush through this, we decided we won't marry until everything gets figured about you."

Traveling to different places? Learn in different countries? What was Jocelyn— Then the thought occurred to her. Of course she wouldn't be in New York for the next few months. She was going on a mission. Was the "learning in different places" an excuse for her few month disappearance from her school?

Before Clary could reply, the server arrived, placing the steamy, delicious-looking food in front of them. Clary waited to answer before the waiter left.

"But, mom, you don't have to do that. A few months is a really long time! You can't stay engaged forever."

Jocelyn put her hand over Clary's and gave it a gentle squeeze. "It's not forever, honey. It's only for a few months."

Clary knew she couldn't budge her mom on this, so she turned to Luke. "You're agreeing to this?"

He shrugged nonchalantly, but Clary could tell from his posture that it wasn't what he wanted. "It's your mother's choice. I respect what she wants."

"Fine, but this won't be the last time I argue about this." Clary frowned.

Jocelyn laughed whereas Luke winked at Clary. The three of them soon fell quiet, focusing on their food instead of talking. It felt nice, the silence, even though the room was filled with people talking. But Clary didn't mind. All she cared about at the moment was the place she was in, the people she was with, and how she was spending time with the ones she cared about. What made her even happier was the fact that her mother was getting married to one of the most caring, easy-going people in the world. With that thought in mind, she scooped up the noodles and popped them in her mouth.

ζ:Ω:ζ:Ω:ζ

Clary sat on her bed, sketchpad on her lap and pencil in her hand. She flipped the book to another blank page. Bringing the tip of the pencil to the paper again, she tried to draw, but the only thing that came to her mind was one person. A tall, lean, golden-haired person.

For some reason, Clary kept picturing him. And if that wasn't strange enough, when she drew him, he had a pair of angel wings extending from his back. She didn't exactly understand why she was drawing wings behind him, but her hand seemed intent on adding them just the same.

Sighing, she closed the pad and looked out her window. It was completely dark, as if the sky was covered with a navy-colored blanket, with a bit of moonlight shining overhead. Tomorrow morning she'd have to go to the Academy and fight Jace. The most well-known Shadowhunter in the world. The best one their age. The one that could most likely beat Clary with a sweep of his hand. Clary quickly dismissed that thought. If she kept thinking about her defeat already, what would happen when she actually fought him?

A knock on the door pulled her out of her thoughts.

"Come in," said Clary.

The door slowly swung open, revealing Jocelyn. She entered the room and came to sit on Clary's bed. Clary noticed Jocelyn's red hair was pulled up in a messy ponytail while dark circles lined the area beneath her eyes.

"Hey, what's up, mom?" Clary picked up her sketchpad and pencils, placing them on the bedside table beside her.

Jocelyn looked at her uneasily. "Are you sure you're okay with me and Luke getting married?"

Clary blinked in surprise. "Yeah, of course I am. Why wouldn't I be?"

Her mom bit down on her bottom lip nervously. "I don't know . . . I think I should have told you before announcing it at White Fence Farm." She took a deep breath and continued. "It's — I don't want you to think that I haven't been telling you about any of this. When Luke proposed . . . it was a shock to me. I couldn't comprehend it at first. But when I thought over it, I knew he was the one."

"Mom, I don't mind. I promise. I also wasn't thinking about any of those things. Just don't worry about it, okay? I absolutely approve. You make a great couple."

Jocelyn smiled.

"I'm glad you approve. Luke is attractive, isn't he?" Jocelyn mused.

"Ew, mom! We are not talking about that!" Clary made a disgusted face, and then burst out laughing. Jocelyn laughed along with her, clutching her stomach.

When the giggling died down, Jocelyn announced she was going to sleep.

"'Night, sweetie," she said as she closed the door behind her.

"'Night, mom." Clary replied a beat late.

She picked up her sketchpad again and flipped to a new page. The pencil flew hastily on the paper. Sighing in frustration, she realized she still couldn't remove Jace from her mind. Clary tried to capture the way he had looked at her, the blank expression with golden, unreadable eyes staring at her. With a groan, she tore the paper out and threw it in a corner of the room. This was ridiculous. Why was she drawing him? With a sigh, she deposited the sketchpad back in its place. She needed to get a good night's sleep for tomorrow, because tomorrow . . . tomorrow would be an intense day.

ζ:Ω:ζ:Ω:ζ

The next morning, Clary waited in the training room, up and ready to fight. She had on her Shadowhunter gear, and had pulled her fiery red hair back into a tight ponytail. She'd also grabbed several steles, seraph blades, and swords. She didn't want to take any risks of not having enough weapons while fighting.

Izzy joined her soon after Clary arrived at the Academy, and they decided to practice fighting each other until the rest of the Shadowhunters came.

It had been a while since Clary had fought anyone in this way. It felt good, natural, to do it again. Isabelle was a worthy opponent and kept Clary on her toes the whole time. She felt the thrill of the fight travel through her veins and awaken the part of her she'd kept buried for so long. The girls circled round and round each other, taking swings and practicing their stances. In some areas, Isabelle bested her, but in others, Clary clearly had the upper-hand. After several intense rounds, Clary swatted away a lash from Izzy's long, golden whip a final time when she heard a throat clear behind her. Both of the girls whirled around to find Stephen, Simon, and Jace standing beside the door. All of them had surprised expressions except for Jace. He looked at them lazily, his mouth fixed into a straight line and his eyes half-lidded, gazing at them as if he hardly saw them. Clary tried to contain the anger building up inside her. Jace was getting on her nerves and he hadn't even spoken to her once.

"That . . . was quite a fight," said the Boss, grinning proudly at his Shadowhunters.

"Yeah! Who won?" Simon asked excitedly.

Both the girls laughed.

"I think Clary won. She left me defenseless without my whip." Izzy smiled.

Clary grinned back in response, her eyes straying to where the other Shadowhunters were. All of them were wearing black gear. Simon looked a bit uncomfortable, but other than that, his eyes were wide open, his mouth formed into a small "O" whenever he looked at Clary. Jace, on the other hand, covered completely in black once again, took the breath out of her. His hair shimmered in the sunlight streaming from the windows, creating a bright, golden halo. Clary realized, to her sudden awareness, his gold eyes burned deeply into her bottle-green ones. Warmth flooded her cheeks and she looked away.

"All right, we should get on with our agenda today," Stephen's voice broke the silence. "We have to make sure you all are ready for this international mission, so the staff members and I thought these tasks would help us decide if we were right about all of you. There will be two main objectives. One will be done today, the other tomorrow. First, the partners will fight against each other. I, along with the staff, will observe how you do. If the fight is well fought, then it's a done deal that you will be going on a mission. If not, we have other backups we can use, but I'm sure that won't be necessary. Second, and this is the task that will be done tomorrow, the partners will face-off against their opponents. Jace and Clarissa will fight against Simon and Isabelle. In this task, we will be able to see how well the partners help each other in difficult situations and how well you respond to one other." He paused, staring off into empty space. "Who would like to go first?"

It was quiet for a moment, but then Izzy raised her hand and urged Simon to do the same. With an exasperated sigh, he did so as well.

"First up, Isabelle and Simon. Good luck to you both."

Then, he turned to Jace and Clary. "You two can stay in here and watch or stand out in the hall."

With that, Stephen left the room. Clary wondered how Stephen could watch them fight if he wasn't going to be in the same room as them, but then shrugged it off. The Academy had their own ways of observing people.

"I'll stay," Jace said, his voice breaking into Clary's reverie, and went to sit down on one of the chairs.

Clary wanted badly to follow and sit beside him, but thought better of it. She needed to be prepared before the fight. Clary had to do well. She needed time to think about it. Without any further delay, she opened the door and walked out, letting it close with a small thud behind her.

She looked up and down the hall. It was eerily quiet and no one seemed to be in sight. With a backward glance at the door, she made her way a few feet from the training room. Clary slid down to the floor and wrapped her arms around her legs. She couldn't believe this was happening. She was going to fight Jace. _The_ Jace Wayland. The one that could beat anyone with a blink of his eye. The one that was named the best Shadowhunter in the world. _How_ could she even try to fight him?

She tried to remember the techniques she'd learned when she was a newbie at the Academy, but they didn't really help her. Though, the fight with Izzy did. With despair, Clary realized Izzy should have been Jace's partner. She was as good as Clary, maybe even better if Clary hadn't left Izzy without a weapon.

Clary didn't know how long she sat there, going through strategies, thinking of what was happening inside the training room. Clary wished she hadn't left. She wished she was there to help Simon somehow. She'd heard him cry out once, but didn't hear it again. The only thing she made out was the clashing of weapons, but she couldn't even hear that now.

Thinking they were done fighting, Clary stood up and went over to the door. With a slight push, the door opened and Clary entered. Simon and Izzy stood in the center of the room, laughing and shaking hands. Jace still sat in the chair he'd occupied when Clary left, and to her surprise, he was smiling too.

Simon came over to stand beside Clary. Even though his face was sweaty and his top lip was split open, blood spilling from it, he had an easy smile on his face.

"You and Jace, huh? Are ya scared?" Simon asked, raising his brows at Clary.

Clary nodded, gulping.

"Don't worry, it'll be fine."

"But . . . but . . . I have butterflies!"

"Oh really? Monarchs or Great Blues?"

Despite the circumstances, Clary smiled, and smacked him on the shoulder.

"Ow! That hurt!"

Clary stuck her tongue out at him.

"Well done, Agents Lewis and Lightwood," the voice boomed from the ceiling, interrupting what Simon was about to say. "Winner was Agent Lightwood, but it was a fight well done by both. Next up, Agent Fray and Wayland. Agent Lewis and Lightwood, if you'd please exit out of the room, it would be greatly appreciated."

Simon raised his head to the ceiling and quirked his brows. "I wonder why we have to leave when you had the option of either staying or leaving . . ." he mused. "Oh well. Good luck, Clary!" He planted a peck on her forehead and left the room.

Isabelle followed him, but not before wishing her and Jace good luck.

Clary pulled out her weapons and turned toward Jace. When she finally looked up at him, she found him twirling a seraph blade, slowly increasing its speed as the time prolonged.

"Are you ready?" he asked without looking up.

Clary gulped. She couldn't believe she was about to do this. Here she was, almost a newbie compared to him, trying to fight a master. What was she thinking? Was she _insane_ to fight someone like him? Clary knew the answer to that. Of course she was insane. Why else would she be here, seraph blade in one hand, a dagger in the other, standing in front of Jace?

"Yes." Clary was surprised that answer came out of her mouth. It sounded strong and sure, just the type of answer she needed to boost her confidence. She placed the stele in her belt.

"Let's get to it, then."

Without thinking, Clary went with her instinct. She ran toward Jace, pulling her blade above her head, and came down hard, connecting with Jace's blade. Even though his was underneath, Clary could feel her hand starting to hurt when he manipulated the position of their weapons. Within seconds, Jace had Clary's blade underneath his and he had her pushed against the wall.

Clary's breath came out ragged and short as she tried to pull away from him. With a grunt, she pushed his blade against his chest, causing him to stumble back, giving Clary a little leverage.

They started circling each other, Jace's stride agile and sharp, while Clary's was vigilant and elegant — the opposite of one another. Clary suddenly shot out her leg, aiming to kick Jace in his shins. But he blocked the kick easily by stepping back slightly. To Clary's surprise, Jace slid his sword back into its sheath on his back. In the spirit of fairness, she returned her blade and dagger to her belt as well.

Groaning in frustration, she struck out again and again, throwing punches here and there. He kept blocking them, but never once did he try to attack her. Clary felt like he was only going to play defense in this. Growing even more agitated, Clary threw a punch at his stomach, catching him off guard. His eyes conveyed that much. Anger flashed across them and with a motion almost quicker than Clary could see, Jace retrieved his sword and swung it in a wide arc, narrowly missing Clary's arm.

"You're good," Jace said conversationally, his eyes shining with amusement.

Clary didn't know how he could talk while fighting. Pulling out her blade with swiftness, she tried swiping at him, and responded with a huff. "Thanks."

Jace, once again, easily blocked the strikes of her blade. When Clary tried to swipe at him, he deflected it. As the time drew out, Clary started getting a bit impatient. She thrust her leg out, once more, aiming for his chest. Instead of fending it off like he did earlier, he took a hold of her foot with one hand. He pulled her leg toward him, causing Clary to lose her balance slightly, until she was a couple centimeters away from his face. _Damn it. Game over,_ Clary thought as Jace hitched her leg around his waist, pulling her even closer, almost flush against his body. _What the—_ Bringing his blade up, he pointed the tip at Clary and pressed the point to her heart. Slowly, he marked an "X" across her chest.

"Got you," he whispered, almost incoherent to Clary's ears.

Being this close to Jace sent tiny electrical shocks from the point where he touched her to the top of her head. Her breathing came out shallow and she was afraid to look up at him. Afraid of what she might see there. But, when Clary looked into his eyes, they were burning so brightly she had to look away almost immediately.

Unexpectedly, she heard the sound of clapping. It increased in numbers as it reverberated through the room. Jace released her almost immediately when he realized he was still holding on to her. She felt weird as they broke apart. Before, she felt warm and was filled with Jace's presence and scent. Now she was left with emptiness surrounding her, as if she lost something important to her.

"Winner is Agent Wayland. But it was well-fought. Good job, to both of you. All the Shadowhunters chosen will move on to the next task. We will meet tomorrow, same time, same place. Once again, great job."

With a faint beep, silence filled the atmosphere. The doors of the room swung wide open. Simon and Isabelle, sparing Clary to make any comments, ran over to her and Jace, congratulating them.

"We were watching you two on the TV! It was awesome!" Simon exclaimed.

"You should have seen him. He was jumping up and down like a girl every five seconds." Izzy rolled her eyes.

"I was not!" Simon protested. "I was _cheering_."

"And there's a difference between jumping up and down like a girl and cheering?"

"I'm going to have to go with Izzy on this one," said Jace.

Clary raised her brows. Jace never spoke to anyone . . . what changed his mind this time?

"But— Clary, help me out here. That's what best friends do!"

Clary laughed. "Sorry, Simon, I don't see the difference. It's all right." She reached up and patted his head. "You'll be okay."

"Hmmph."

Clary glanced over at Izzy and Jace. They had were deep in conversation about something. Izzy kept rolling her eyes whereas Jace had his normal nonchalant expression.

Absently, Clary pulled the loose curls that had begun to fall out during the fight into a bun. Looking over herself quickly, she noticed she had to take a shower. Every part of her was covered in sweat.

"Simon, I'm going to clean up and go home afterward. Come over, okay? We have lots of catching up to do."

He nodded, a bright smile lighting up his face. "Later, Fray."

Clary turned to leave when she heard a male voice call out her name. She knew it wasn't Simon . . . so it must have been Jace. She took a few deep breaths before spinning around to find Jace standing just a few inches away from her.

"Clary," he said. "That was . . . a great fight. I'm surprised. I didn't know you had it in you. I guess you are good enough to be on this mission."

Annoyance radiated from Clary. But she didn't want to give him the satisfaction of seeing that he had the ability to ruffle her, so she put a fake smile on her lips and replied back. "Thanks. You weren't too bad either."

And with that, Clary spun on her heel and left the room in aggravation, leaving a surprised Jace behind.

* * *

**Yeah, sorry about the cliffy, but you know how much I love (writing) them! Anyway, didn't that chapter do y'all justice? ;)**

**Now, I must thank a very special person that you all probably know and adore. And yes, I'm talking about ddpjclaf, my Awesome Sauce Spreading Beta Extraordinaire. You should all bow down to her and thank her a gazillion times for revising this chapter way too many times. Love you! :) Seriously, without you, this chapter would be a FREAKIN' MESS!**

**More reviews would be awesome. :) (I mean, 22 reviews for just one chapter? Sheesh. You're spoiling me, guys! SPOILING ME! ;))**

**Also, I'm really, really, REALLY sorry this was out so late. School started and I just. . . I haven't gotten the time to do anything. :( So, I apologize.**

**Oh, yes, I almost forgot. Jocelyn's engagement ring is posted on my profile.**

**Have a fantastic week and I hope to see you all soon!**


	3. Chapter 3: Fidelity

**Hello, everyone! I won't talk until the very bottom, okay? But you need to know this before you read:**

**Jace's school's mascot: Knights. Just so you know. :P**

**Also, football practices are not supposed to be run by the captain necessarily . . . but, in this case, I just did what I wanted to here. *shrugs* ;)**

******Disclaimer: **_**Mortal Instruments **_**and all its associated characters, places and events all belong to Cassandra Clare and the copyright holders. This is a nonprofit fan work and no copyright infringement is intended. Other stuff is mine, though. ;) So, no stealing! :D**  


**Songs: **

_**I Will Not Bow**_** - Breaking Benjamin**

_**Fighter**_** - Christina Aguilera**

_**Sexy back**_** - Justin Timberlake**

**

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**

_***Clandestine Affairs***_

_***Chapter Three: Fidelity***_

_**

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**_

Jace's head snapped up at the shrill sound of the whistle. His coach caught his eye and called him over.

Jace jogged toward him. "Something wrong, Coach?"

The man, slightly round in the belly, shook his head, his dark dreadlocks swaying with the movement. "Just start practice. We haven't got all day."

With a nod, Jace ran over to his teammates and called them to a huddle.

"All right," he said, placing his hands on his knees and bending down. The others mimicked his actions. "Give me ten laps around the field. Everybody has to finish in less than five minutes or fifty push-ups will be their reward."

The other boys groaned in unison, but started running. Jace let out a sigh, and ran his hand through his hair. Looking back at his coach once more, he took off, bypassing the other boys in no time and catching up to his best friend, Sebastian—who was in the lead—and overtaking him as well. Jace slowed to let his friend catch up. They ran in silence around the track until Jace heard Sebastian sigh in exasperation.

"What?" he asked, raising a brow at his friend.

Sebastian turned, his dark locks matted together over his sweat beaded forehead, and quirked his brow in return. "Are you seriously asking me that? What the hell is wrong with you, Jace? Ten laps? You're joking, right?"

Jace stared at him. "Do I look like I'm kidding?"

Sebastian huffed and wiped his forehead. "I don't know. I just want to know why the hell we're running for so long. What's wrong?"

"What do you mean, 'what's wrong'? Nothing's wrong," he said, pushing his legs to go faster.

Sebastian matched his pace. "Something happen with your dad?"

"No. I told you, nothing happened. You'd better stop talking and finish off two more laps before I assign you twenty."

His best friend grinned. "You're an ass. But, thanks," said Sebastian, and shot off.

"Never said I wasn't," he muttered to himself.

When everyone completed their laps, they gathered around Jace, groaning about the burn in their legs.

Jace rolled his eyes. "Stop being such princesses. You're lucky I lowered the number to five laps instead of ten."

"Yeah, _thank you_, almighty Jace," said one of the players sarcastically. The others laughed in response.

Anger ignited inside him and clenched his jaw. "You are most welcome. If you think that wasn't enough, I'll surely ask Coach to torture you all with more."

Everybody groaned in horror, begging him to not go through with his plan. Jace pinched the bridge of his nose with his forefinger and thumb. "Enough with the groaning. If we want to win the championship, we've got to practice. Go to your positions."

His teammates shuffled to the field. Jace looked around, and nodded. When everyone seemed settled, he brought his hands together, holding them out in front of him and faced his palms toward the center man. With a glance at his opponents, Jace yelled, "Hike!" and the ball flew into his hands.

Everything and everyone seemed to move in slow motion. His wide receivers, Sebastian and Jonathan, ran in a zig-zag manner. His linemen scattered around him, trying to protect him. Jace looked around the field, trying to find anyone open to pass to.

Sebastian raised his hand, signaling he was ready. With one more glance in either direction, looking for anything better, Jace knew Sebastian was his best shot. He gave a slight nod, indicating he saw Sebastian's hand, and pulled back his arm. Running to the side, while dodging the defensive line, he threw the ball. It soared through the air in a perfect arc, landing right into Sebastian's hands. Sebastian caught it cleanly, and tucked it in his arm.

With a determined look, he dashed forward, maneuvering between the cornerbacks. When he neared the end zone, he dove, tumbling through the air, and onto the green turf. With a grin, Sebastian got up and walked over to his cheering teammates, earning a high-five from Jace in the process.

"Great play, Knights. I'd like to see more of that."

Everybody turned to find Coach watching them with hawk-like eyes.

"Now do play four. Oh, and Mr. Wayland . . ."

Jace cocked his brow. "Yeah?"

"Excellent throw."

He flashed his coach a small smile, then went back to practice. Jace stood behind his center guard, and signaled for the play to start. The ball whipped through the air, landing right in his hands.

The Knights repeated the plays over and over again. By the end, everything had gone smoothly. The practice went until evening broke out, covering the few scattered clouds in the sky, and soon, everybody went home.

ζ:Ω:ζ:Ω:ζ

Water ran in rivulets down Jace's face. His golden locks matted together in places due to the warm steam clinging to the air around him. Image after image flashed before his eyes. The thundering storm raging outside. A tall, broad-shouldered man, with slick blonde hair, stared down at the little boy. The man held a belt in his hand and raised it above his head. With a deafening crack, the belt came in contact with the boy's skin.

Jace flinched involuntarily, causing the water above to spray into his eyes. It clouded over his vision. As the stream gushed down, a new image appeared, clearing all other thoughts from his mind.

A small red-headed girl, with a fierce expression plastered on her face.

He had been impressed by the way she fought against him. Given her size, he didn't think she could put up much of a fight. In fact, when Stephen had first shown her picture to him, Jace didn't know what to think of her. He just knew that she couldn't be his partner for the international mission. That Agent Fray wasn't ready to face the world filled with demons.

But when they were fighting, Jace saw aggressiveness in her bottle-green eyes. The way she moved with the blade . . . if he had not been a well-trained Agent, he didn't think he would have survived those blows.

Instead of fighting back, Jace laid low, knowing he needed to observe the way his opponent fought before he struck out. She continuously threw punches, but her swings tended to swing a bit wide, giving her a slight disadvantage when she tried to compose back to her original position. Jace knew he would have to do something about that, or else it would cause them both problems when they went out into the real world.

The end of the battle, though, was something Jace had not anticipated. When he thought it was his turn to lash out, he surprised himself by doing the opposite. He had pulled her closer to him, marking an 'X' across her chest. When Jace heard her breathing hitch, and she looked at him with wide eyes, he had stared back defiantly, not sure what was going on. It was only after he released her, that he realized what he was doing.

Jace shook his head to clear his thoughts. He couldn't afford to think about the "task" Stephen had assigned. There was already too much on his plate, and if he thought more about Agent Fray, things would complicate themselves even more.

He turned the knob, cutting the supply of the water, and got out. After drying himself with a towel, Jace slid on black jeans and a white shirt. Grasping hold of the cloth again, Jace toweled through his hair, and proceeded to dry it.

Once done, Jace made his way downstairs, and found his father, Michael, sitting at the wooden dinner table, talking on the phone. Jace noticed the food and utensils were already placed on the table. Without another thought, he sat down across from his father, his food steaming, the haze rising in ring-like shapes above him. Picking up the fork, he twirled the spaghetti around, scooped it up, and popped it in his mouth.

Jace heard a clearing of throat and looked up to find his father watching him closely.

"You have something to say, father?"

"Well, that's a fine way to say hello," said his dad, smiling. "What happened at the Academy today?"

Jace shrugged. "The usual. Stephen gave us the same task we've been doing for Angel knows how long . . ."

Michael eyed him suspiciously. "What about the girl?"

Jace's head snapped up. "What about her?"

"I hear she's quite the Agent. She's worked hard over the years she's been at the Academy and now is ready for the international mission. What do you think of her?"

Jace raised his brows. "What makes you think I thought anything of her?"

Michael pursed his lips, opened his mouth to speak, then closed it again, and shook his head. "Nevertheless . . . When are you supposed to leave for _CA_?"

Jace picked at his food, sliding a piece of spaghetti around on the plate. "I think this Friday."

His father nodded. "Until?"

"Not sure. Could be a week. Or a month. Or even years. Stephen didn't clarify."

"I see. He's called a meeting with the parents that know about _CA _on Wednesday. I will ask for more information about this then. As for now . . ." He glanced at his watch, and started to stand, "I have a meeting to go to. We'll talk later, all right?"

Jace nodded, and picked up another string of spaghetti. "Later."

ζ:Ω:ζ:Ω:ζ

Clary stood in front of the microwave. Inside, was one of her favorite things in the world. Popcorn. The smell of it rose up and filled the room with its buttery aroma. Once done, Clary took out the steaming bag of popcorn and placed it on the counter. Absently, she walked around the island and went to the refrigerator, grabbing two cokes from it, lost in thought.

Clary's heart still hammered whenever she thought about the fight between Jace and her. She thought she'd done reasonably well against him . . . until the very end. His closeness to her consumed every single part of her. She couldn't stop thinking about his hand hoisting her leg up, while his sword marked an "X" across her chest, and his, "Got you" at the end. His sweet, minty breath had washed over her face, causing thoughts to buzz around her brain incoherently. Her breathing had come out ragged and shallow, and she'd broken away before anything happened that was out of her control.

The sharp staccato sound of the bell dragged Clary back to the real world. Situating the cokes and popcorn on the table in front of the TV, she yelled, "Coming!" and ran to the door. Quickly peeking through the peephole, she sighed in relief. _Finally._ Without wasting another minute, Clary threw open the door, and there stood, in all his dorkiness, her best friend, Simon.

He wore stonewashed blue jeans and a yellow shirt that said "Don't mess with me. I am a gamer."

"Hey, Fray," he said casually, breezing past Clary and settling himself on the couch.

He raised his brows when she didn't follow. "Coming?"

Clary nodded, then sat cross-legged beside him. "So . . ."

"So . . ." Simon repeated.

Silence fell upon them, when Simon said, "Awkward."

Both of them burst into laughter, clutching their stomachs for dear life. When they finally calmed down, Clary reached for the bowl of popcorn, and handed it to him.

"Eat away," she said, and took some herself.

"Clary," Simon said after a moment, "Why didn't you tell me you were a Shadowhunter?"

"Why didn't you?"

His brows furrowed. "Okay, fair point. You know why though."

Clary's brows rose. "Do I?" she asked, popping another piece in her mouth.

"Yes, you do. The oath, remember? We're bound by it. We can't tell anybody about being Agents and such."

She shrugged. "True, but, I just can't believe, that after all these years, we've recently found out we both work for the Shadowhunter Academy."

"These years? As in, the plural form of the word 'year'?"

"Yes, Simes. Years. Why?"

He ignored her question. "How long have you been working for them?"

"Four years . . ." she said uncertainly. "Simon, what's wrong?"

"No wonder you were paired up with Wayland." He muttered. "I knew it."

Clary shook him. "What are you talking about?"

"You must be a heck of an Agent, eh, Fray?" Simon smiled, his eyes twinkling.

"Well," Clary looked down, playing with her fingers as warmth flooded her cheeks, "I don't know . . . I'm okay, I guess."

Simon snorted. "Don't give me that, Clary. Now," he reached for the remote and turned the TV on, "Are we going to discuss the Academy all day or will we watch some gory movies?"

Clary rolled her eyes. "Gory movies, please."

ζ:Ω:ζ:Ω:ζ

Clary lay in bed, staring at the ceiling fan. Its black blades turning round and round. The talk with Simon today hadn't gone how she'd expected it to. She thought it'd be a serious and long discussion. Fortunately, it had been filled with easy-going talk instead. Clary didn't think she could have survived if the conversation had turned into an argument.

A sharp buzz pulled Clary out of her thoughts. She picked up her phone from the bedside table, and opened the text.

_Agent Fray, Magnus here. I've got orders from the Boss saying you and Agent Wayland need to meet pronto, at his house. Wayland has been notified of your impending arrival. There is a car standing outside your house right this minute. Go now. xoxo_

Her brows furrowed. Jace's house. _Now?_ Clary shot a glance at the clock. It was past midnight. Whatever this meeting meant, it must be important.

Clary typed a quick response.

_Got it. Thanks, Mags. _

His reply came right back.

_Never call me that. *angry face* xx Now, go. _

She rolled her eyes, then quickly got out of bed. Clary pulled on some random jeans and shrugged into a dark, long-sleeved shirt, and a hoodie over it. Sliding her phone into the back pocket of her jeans, she tip-toed out to the hallway. Clary peeked into her mother's room, and found that she was sleeping, soft snores coming from her.

Sighing in relief, Clary set out, and shut the front door softly behind her. Standing idly on the curb was a silver Mercedes. She took a deep breath before she made her way over.

A driver got out and opened the door for her. Clary didn't recognize his face, but the Shadowhunter Academy's badge stitched onto his uniform confirmed that he was from there. Clary muttered a, "Thanks" before getting in the car.

Inside, warm air blew from the vents. The seats were covered with white leather and everything in the car was spotless.

"Agent Fray," the driver said, pulling Clary from her scanning of the car. Clary turned and found he was facing her. She noticed he had a mop of curly brown hair with a round, cute face, and blue eyes. He looked to be in his late twenties. "Mr. Herondale has requested I be your personal driver from now and on. I will be able to take you anywhere you want to go. He also said this can be your car until you wish to return it."

"_My_ car?" Disbelief colored her tone.

He nodded. "Until you don't want it."

Clary processed the information for a second. _Her car. Her dream car._ She could go wherever she wanted. _Wow. _"Okay . . . what did you say your name was again?"

The driver smiled. It was nice — warm and homey. "I hadn't. I'm Dean."

She nodded. "Well, nice to meet you, Dean. But I have one request to make."

Dean cocked his brow. "Yes, ma'am?"

"Please call me Clary."

His brows furrowed. "But—"

"Please? I'll feel more comfortable."

"All right. If you insist, ma'a—I mean, Clary."

She smiled triumphantly. "Good."

He turned around, and Clary noticed his mouth lifted into a grin. "Next stop, Agent Wayland's house."

ζ:Ω:ζ:Ω:ζ

Clary hadn't realized she had fallen asleep until she heard Dean calling her name. She rubbed her eyes and sat up, looking around in a daze. Sure enough, there was a grand, white house looming in front of her.

Dean came around to open the door for her, and she clambered out.

"He'll be waiting inside for you, Clary. And I'll await your return here."

Clary nodded, not in the state to say another word. Her legs felt like jello as she walked toward the door. Flowers sprouted in bunches all around her, their scent lingering in the air as she passed. When she made it to the big, wooden door, Clary raised her hand and knocked. Her heart hammered inside her chest as the door opened.

A middle-aged man, with salt and pepper hair, and gray eyes stood by the entrance, his hand on the door handle. He wore crisp, black clothes, and looked strict.

"Hello, I am Hodge. You must be Agent Fray." He smiled.

Clary bobbed her head in agreement.

"Come in. Master Jace is in the kitchen. Follow me."

"Thanks," Clary said and stepped over the threshold.

The inside of the house was as beautiful as the outside. Through an archway to the right, Clary spied an elegantly arranged family room with a couple of brown leather sofas and a matching table in the middle. Exotic paintings covered the cream covered walls in almost every direction she looked.

Clary moved ahead, following Hodge, as they walked toward the kitchen. Her footsteps echoed throughout the entire house, whereas Hodge's were as silent as an eerie night. She could hear the TV blaring from the other room. When she arrived in the kitchen, she came to a stop. Clary craned her head, finally spotting Jace. Her breathing stopped all together.

Jace sat on the granite island, his hands splayed behind to support himself, and his feet hanging below, while his eyes followed the figures on the TV. His golden locks tumbled down, covering a good portion of his forehead. Next to him was a bowl full of plump, ripe, red strawberries. He picked one up, and placed it in his mouth. Clary watched him chew, his jaw flexing with each movement. She saw his throat move as he swallowed, finishing the strawberry.

He must have sensed her standing there because he turned and looked in her direction.

"Thanks, Hodge," Jace nodded to him and turned his attention back to the girl.

Hodge gave him a small smile, which Jace didn't see, before he left.

It was quiet for a moment. Jace picked up another berry, and was about to eat one when he pulled it away, and held it out to Clary. "Want one?"

When she didn't respond, he added, "They're delicious."

She rolled her eyes, but agreed, then made her way over to the bowl. Clary selected a berry and bit a little piece from it. Clary peeked at Jace from her periphery and noticed his eyes intent on her mouth. With an idea in mind, Clary turned toward him, batted her lashes, and sank her teeth into the berry, eating it as slowly as she could. She noticed Jace's eyes grow darker and wider, and his throat move as he swallowed again.

Giddiness swelled inside of her as she realized she could affect Jace this way. Once finished with the berry, Clary reached for another one, but within a matter of seconds, the bowl vanished. Her brows furrowed and she looked at Jace.

"No more," he said, his voice husky. His eyes were still a darker shade of gold and had a fierce expression.

He jumped down, landing lightly on his feet, and slowly came over to Clary.

His faded dark jeans hung dangerously low on his hips and his white v-neck shirt clung perfectly to his torso. Clary imagined the lean, toned muscles underneath could be seen if the shirt was wet. She shook her head, pushing away the thoughts in her mind. It certainly didn't help her state when he came to stand right in front of her, his sweet scent encompassing her. Clary fought back a shiver.

He raised his hand, and brought it closer to Clary's mouth.

"Wha—" she started.

"Shh," he whispered, bringing his thumb in contact with the skin underneath her lips. An inaudible gasp spilled out of her mouth before she could stop it. Jace pretended not to notice and swiped his finger across, skimming past her bottom lip, making Clary tremble at his touch.

Once finished, Jace moved back. "Strawberry juice."

Clary was sure her cheeks were the color of the berries at that moment. She felt flushed all over.

"Thanks." Clary breathed in and out, trying to calm herself.

Jace nodded, his eyes straying over to the TV. She noticed he was watching football. A game between the New England Patriots and New York Jets. The Patriots were winning by a touchdown.

She wondered why Jace wasn't getting to the point already. Wasn't this supposed to be something 'important'?

"Uh, Jace?"

Without moving his eyes from the screen, he answered. "That'll be Agent Wayland to you, or Sir."

Anger sparked through Clary. Here she was, standing in Jace's house in the middle of the night, for whatever the reason the Boss called her for, and Jace was watching _TV_ and not paying a bit of attention to her anymore. Angrily, Clary went and stood in front of him, her arms crossed over her chest.

"Well, _excuse me_. Sorry, but I'm sure as hell not going to call you that. I think Asshat would work better, don't you?"

A moment of smugness swelled inside of her when a dumbstruck expression crossed his face. But when that changed to a smirk, the self-satisfaction in Clary vanished.

"Only if you'll let me call you Ginger."

"No." Clary said stubbornly. She hated being called a ginger.

"You can't call me Asshat then."

The words spilled from Clary's mouth before she could stop them. "It's either Asshat or Mr. Perfect."

"Asshat seems a little harsh, no?"

"Whatever. I'll go with Mr. Perfect then."

"Fine. Ginger's yours."

"Mr. Perfect . . ." she said exasperatedly.

"Ginger . . ." Jace imitated her.

"Why was I told to come here?"

"Don't you know?" Jace asked, cocking his head to the side.

"Obviously not," Clary replied, surprising herself with the brave answers she was giving. What was happening to her? A few hours ago she wouldn't have dared answer _the _Agent Wayland like this, but being around him made her feel different. It made her feel . . . feisty.

"We're going to bind ourselves to each other."

It was a good thing Clary didn't have anything in her mouth because she would have spit it straight out.

"_What? _You—Me . . . _Binding?_" she spluttered.

"Sadly." Jace nodded.

Clary swatted him on the arm playfully. "Stop being an ass for one minute, will you, Mr. Perfect?" She took a deep breath before continuing, "When is this going to take place?"

Jace glanced at the clock above the stove. "Less than five minutes."

"And . . . and . . . We _have _to do this? But why?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. Stephen wants it done and we can't defy his orders. He says this needs to be completed for the mission."

"But," her voice lowered to a whisper, "does he not know what this means?"

"I'm sure he does. Look, Clary . . ."

She fought back a shiver as he said her name.

"If you don't want to do this, we can find other ways to get this done. Or if you don't want to do this at all, I—"

"Jace," Clary interrupted. "Do _you _want to do this?"

"We have no choice . . ." He trailed off, looking at the clock again. "We have two minutes before we have to mark each other. If you want to change your mind about this, now is the time."

Clary didn't respond, instead, she acted on impulse. Taking his hand, she pulled him through the archway into the living room, and went over to the couch.

"Where's your stele?" Clary asked as she took her own from inside one of her boots.

Jace raised his hand, palm facing up, and waited for a second. In a matter of moments, his stele appeared. It was as if it were there all along. Clary shook her head, amazed. She wasn't that great at magic. She'd have to ask Jace if he could help her later.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Jace asked again, his brows raised.

Clary gulped. She knew if she said yes, she couldn't go back. Taking in a steady breath, she answered, "Yes."

Jace nodded. "Give me your hand."

Clary obliged. Jace pulled the sleeve of her hoodie back until it was at her elbows, his fingers grazed her skin, causing her to shiver. Slowly, with a feather light touch, he pressed the tip of his stele to Clary's arm. It prickled at first, but didn't burn. Gently, Jace started making the binding rune across her hand. The ink came out in swirls and circles, and it almost felt like nothing was happening. Almost.

When Jace finished, he gave his hand to Clary and she repeated the same process on his arm. Drawing runes was second nature to Clary, but she had to make sure she didn't accidentally mess up since she was drawing it by memory. Occasionally Jace would glance up at her, with a worried expression, but when she let her gaze rise to his, it would vanish as if it were never there.

And then it was over. They'd done it.

Reality came crashing down on Clary. She knew what it meant to be bound to someone. It was something that would stay with them forever. Throughout their entire lives. Being bound by each other meant they could know each other's every thought if they wanted to. They could feel each other's feelings. They could even talk to one another telepathically. While the last one sounded great, Clary didn't know if she wanted the rest of it. But now it was too late. She could do nothing about it.

"Agent Fray?" Jace asked. "Feeling okay?"

Clary shrugged, slightly embarrassed at what Jace would be feeling. "Could be better. You?"

"I'm feeling tired. Must be because of you. I wasn't tired before all this." He paused, frowning. "What the hell is that I am feeling right now?"

Clary's brows shot up. "Uh, what do you mean? I don't think I'm feeling anything right now. Just tired and probably a little freaked out but—"

"Hey, Clary," he said, gently taking hold of her chin and pulling her face up to meet his. "Got you again." His warm, strawberry-flavored breath blew across her face.

Clary trembled at his touch, and bit her lip. The last time he'd said those words, her legs were wrapped around his waist. Clary brushed aside the thoughts before they got carried away.

"Asshat," she said, taking a peek at her cell phone and noticing it was almost three o'clock. "I'd better be going . . ." Clary trailed off, and stood up.

"Yeah, it's getting late. Here, I'll see you out." Jace stood as well.

She shook her head. "No, it's okay. I can do it."

"Oh, okay. If you want." Jace sat down again and reached for the remote, turning the volume way up. "Later," he said, then focused his attention on the TV.

"Bye, Jace," Clary murmured, and headed back to the car that was waiting outside for her. All she wanted to do now was sleep in the safe confines of her bed. Her warm, cozy, Jace-less bed.

* * *

**:)**

**Now y'all have to wait a few and let me talk a bit here. **

**Let me first say: I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Yes, three times because three's the charm. But, I'm really truly sorry. School is my first priority here and this year is the most important for me so updates will be really scattered. And, of course, I'll be finishing this story, it'll just take some time. All I want from you guys is a little bit of patience. Which you have been doing so far anyway, so . . . moot point, lol. **

**A gazillion thank-you's, smooches, and, "Got you's" from CAJ (Clandestine Affairs Jace) to my lovely beta, ddpjclaf. She is truly my Awesome Sauce Spreading Beta Extraordinaire. Thank her for the early update because she got this chapter back to me in ONE DAY. And she checked over the chapter again to make sure I'd gotten everything. Oh, god. I just love her. Also, just so you guys know, the entire "Strawberry" scene (I capitalized strawberry on purpose) is dedicated to her. :) I love you, ddpjclaf. *hearts***

**Also, thanks to my beta again for helping with Dean's name. It couldn't have been possibly without her. And y'all know you adore Dean . . . well, you will more anyway. :P**

**One more thing: My beta made a banner for this chapter! It's SO deliciously schmexy I made it my desktop and my wallpaper on my iPod, heheh. My point is, I'm trying to find out a way to post it on my profile, but until then, you can just look at my profile picture. That's the banner. :D *more smooches and hearts for ddpjclaf***

**Anyway, I don't think I have anything else to say.**

**Reviews are burning passionate infernos of love. :)**

**xoxo,**

**LLWB**


	4. Chapter 4: Lessons and Sensations

**This chapter was being unreasonably stubborn.**

******Disclaimer: **_**Mortal Instruments **_**and all its associated characters, places and events all belong to Cassandra Clare and the copyright holders. This is a nonprofit fan work and no copyright infringement is intended. Other stuff is mine, though. ;) So, no stealing! :D**  


* * *

_***The Clandestine Affairs***_

_***Chapter Four: Lessons and Sensations***_

* * *

Clary walked along the hallways of Shadowhunter Academy. She passed several rooms filled with newbies and teachers. In other rooms, weapons covered nearly every inch of wall-space. Rounding a corner, Clary walked by the gymnasium, the sound of a ball bouncing against the wooden floor drew her attention toward the entrance and she stopped short. Peering through the window, she noticed blonde hair and realized instantly who it was.

Jace.

He wore a pair of baggy, black basketball shorts that hung low on his hips. The threadbare gray t-shirt clung tightly to him, accentuating his lean chest underneath. Her breathing hitched as she watched him expertly handle the ball, dribbling it skillfully across the court to the hoop. He shot. It kissed the backboard and swished through the net.

Excitement rushed through Clary. She walked closer to the window, observing as he shot again and again. He dribbled back to the three-point line and shot from there—making it easily. Clary didn't know how long she stood there just studying him, when she heard a deep voice behind her.

"Enjoying the view?"

Clary jumped and whirled around to find Magnus standing a few feet behind her. He was covered in pink clothing from shirt to pants, and matched with a gold glitter encrusted, black jacket.

"Oh, I wasn't—"

Magnus waved her comment away. "Save it for later, darling."

"But—"

He wagged his finger at her. "Don't worry about it. Your secret is safe with me."

"What—"

"I told you—"

"Magnus," Clary stomped her foot and crossed her arms over her chest. "Let me finish a damn sentence!"

"Did you just stomp your foot?" Magnus quirked his brow. But after a moment, he put his hands up in surrender and motioned for her to continue.

She took a deep breath. "It's not what you think. I was coming over to you for our lesson and I saw Jace playing and . . . he plays really well. I mean, really, is there anything he _can't_ do?"

Magnus laughed. "I wish I knew. Now, you're already late for your session. We'd better start soon before the Boss assigns you your next task."

Clary nodded, and without a backward glance at Jace, followed Magnus.

Magnus' office was something one would never get used to. A dark cherry-colored wood desk sat nestled in the back of the room. Several papers and a laptop settled neatly on top. On the other side of the room, matching loveseats, along with a coffee and soda dispenser occupied the opposite corner. Posters of Magnus in different places around the world hung on every wall.

"Coffee?" Magnus asked, interrupting Clary's reverie.

She nodded. "Yes. Caramel Brulée Latte, please."

Magnus walked over to the machine and started making the drink, while Clary made her way over and sat on the couch.

"So, Clary . . ." he trailed off as he pulled out a caramel bottle and shook it.

"Yes?"

"Tell me about yesterday."

She cocked her brows. "What do you mean?"

"Bonding rune."

"Oh, it went well." She looked down at her lap, interlacing her fingers together.

Magnus came over, handed her the coffee, and sat down.

"Thanks," Clary muttered and took a sip, reveling in the delicious taste as it slid down her throat.

"How did you feel after you two were bound?"

"I don't remember feeling anything different, but Mr. Perfect—," Magnus' cocked his head in question, but Clary quickly corrected herself, "I mean, Jace—felt tired all of a sudden, which was what I was feeling earlier."

He nodded in understanding. "Jace must have used a spell so you couldn't feel anything he was feeling."

Clary's eyes widened. "You can do that?"

"Of course you can. It's a basic thing for people to do when they're bound to one other."

"Can you teach me?" Clary asked, excited. She didn't want Jace to know everything she was feeling all the time—it was embarrassing.

Magnus suppressed a smile. "Not yet. We still need to start from the basics since you haven't done any magic. The Boss wants you to learn the fundamentals, at the very least, to help you."

Clary blew out a slow breath. "Easy for you to say. You already know A through Z about magic."

He smiled and winked. "Right you are, dear. Let's get started."

"What do I have to do?"

Magnus held up a finger. "Patience, young one."

Clary rolled her eyes, but waited. She didn't know what she was waiting for, but Magnus had closed his eyelids and was muttering incoherently. A few minutes later, he opened his catlike eyes, and looked at her.

"We'll start with levitation."

"Okay . . ." she said hesitantly, "What should I levitate?"

A small bedside table and an empty foam cup appeared in front of Clary. The cup sat on the sofa.

"You'll move this cup to the table. Understand?"

"Okay."

"Now close your eyes."

Clary obliged.

"And say, 'Magnus is fantastic.'"

"I will not say that, Magnus."

She heard him sigh exasperatedly.

"Fine. You don't have to say anything. It's all about the mind. You have to think it. Picture the foam cup rising from the sofa and moving over to the table. Put all your energy in that thought. Got it?"

She nodded, gathered her wits. She imagined the cup rising slowly, floating carelessly in the air. Clary peeked curiously to see the result, but disappointment washed through her. The cup sat there as if nothing had happened. _Damn it._

"Try again. It's always hard at first," Magnus urged.

Clary clenched her eyes shut and focused on getting the cup to rise just a little. Even without looking, she knew nothing happened. She gritted her teeth and tried to focus again.

"Clary—"

"Magnus," she cut him off, "I know I can do this. Just give me a minute."

Clary didn't hear him respond, but she knew he obeyed. This time, Clary opened her eyes and stared at the cup, willing it to rise. If Simon were here, he would have mentioned Star Wars and said, "Use the force!" But even that wouldn't have helped. _By the Angel, why is it so hard?_ Trying to muster all her energy, she focused on the thought. She pictured it slowly—

The slamming of the door opening reverberated behind her. She lost her concentration and frustration enveloped her. She turned to face whoever had interrupted her, and found a pair of gold eyes staring at her. Anger sparked inside her. _Why the hell did Jace have to barge in?_ As if that wasn't problematic enough, he looked freshly showered. His curls dripped with water and he wore a pair of black jeans with a red button-down shirt.

"Agent Wayland, why are you here?" Magnus asked as he came around and stood in front of Jace.

Jace nodded his head toward Clary. "She needed me."

Her eyes widened in surprise. She'd only thought of him a few times, but that was only when she was watching him play. "I do not need you."

"Your thoughts say otherwise," he said, his mouth lifting into a barely discernable grin.

Blood rushed through her veins and pooled in her cheeks. Clary was certain her face was beet red by now.

"That's it!" Magnus snapped his fingers and faced the other two Shadowhunters.

"What's it?" Clary asked, raising her brows.

"Magnus . . ." Jace trailed off uncertainly.

"You know it'll work better, Jace. Try it. She's not going to have any luck without you."

Jace let out a slow breath as he ran his hand through his unruly hair.

"All right," he said at last.

"Good. I'm sure you know what to do. Have fun, I'm going out for a few hours with Alec."

Before either of the Shadowhunters could reply back, Magnus was out the door and already on his way.

Sighing, Jace turned and faced Clary. Walking around the sofa to sit in front of her, he fisted his hand in his golden curls and ran it through his hair several times before looking at her.

"Let's get this over with," he said, taking Clary's hand in his. Tiny sparks of electricity ran up her arm and traveled to every single part of her body, causing heat into rush in her cheeks.

"What are you doing?" The sentence left Clary's mouth in a rush. She silently chastised herself for her hasty question.

"Giving you some of my power. It'll help you."

Clary's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "How?"

"Isn't it obvious? I'm the more powerful Shadowhunter here."

She gave him an, "Are you kidding me?" look.

"Since we're bound to each other," he grinned and glanced up at her from under his lashes, his finger tracing a line up and down her arm, "_anything_ we do together will be explosive."

"Perv," Clary responded, but tightened her hold on his hand.

"Never said I wasn't. Okay," Jace said, shifting closer to her, "keep your mind blank. Power changeovers can be exhausting at first which means you can't think about anything at all. Understand?"

Clary nodded and, just for the sake of it, closed her eyes. At first she didn't feel anything happening _inside_ of her. She did notice the air around her thicken with tension and the feel and smell of Jace and his hand resting on hers. She had the urge to move in, close the short amount of distance that separated them, and crush her lips to his, molding hers against his soft—Crap, what the hell was she even thinking? She was supposed to be keeping her thoughts away from everything and anything.

Suddenly, her body felt like it was being pressed down. Every single inch of her felt suffocated, as if someone had put dead weight on her. Her brain couldn't function because of the magic surging so powerfully through her body. Clary's hold tightened on Jace's as each wave of the power enveloped her and forced her to breathe in short gasps.

As the magic rushed through her again, Clary couldn't do it anymore. She squeezed her eyes shut and said the only thing she could, "Stop."

Almost immediately, her hands lost the warmth they had received from Jace's, and the overload of magic surging through her veins abruptly stopped. Her breathing regulated. Clary opened her eyes and met a pair of concerned gold ones.

"Are you . . ." Jace gulped.

"Just give me a minute."

He nodded curtly and scooted further away—as far as the couch would allow.

Clary took deep breaths, trying to control the other feelings emerging in her body now. Excitement. Nervousness. Curiosity. Intensity. Hell, how was she supposed to suppress all the things she was feeling?

She finally looked up at him again. Trying to lighten the mood, Clary gave him a small smile and said, "I'm okay. Really."

Jace nodded, but his eyes were still cautious.

Suddenly, a voice blared from the intercom, making Clary tear her gaze away from Jace's and focus on the voice instead. "All Agents for _CA_ need to report to the meeting room immediately."

Jace cursed under his breath, but swiftly got up and held his hand out to Clary. "Shall we?"

"Let's go," she said, ignoring Jace's outstretched palm, and got up, making her way to the door.

When she didn't hear any footsteps behind her, Clary turned, putting a hand on the door frame. "Coming?"

He rubbed the back of his neck and frowned, a look of confusion flashed across his face, and nodded. "Yeah," he said, following her out.

ζ:Ω:ζ:Ω:ζ

Stephen stood in front of the long, wooden table. Clary noticed his back faced the door, and he bent over something in front of him. She felt a slight push, and turned to see Simon staring at her.

"Move along, Fray," he said, his eyes dancing with curiosity.

She rolled her eyes, but moved forward. Other Shadowhunters followed her in until they all came to a stop in front of the Boss. Simon confidently planted himself on her left side as Jace took his place on the right. Isabelle walked in afterward, the last one in, and stood beside Simon.

It was quiet for a few minutes before Stephen turned to face them.

"Good morning, Agents," he said, a warm smile on his lips.

Everybody mumbled in response.

"I've called you here for an important reason. I've decided to forgo the other task we were supposed to have today. Things are really moving and there isn't much time, so we need to get a few necessities done before focusing on other tasks. Now," he clasped his hands together, "you will need a way to communicate with each other."

"We get walkie talkies?" Simon blurted.

The Boss laughed. "No, Agent Lewis, we haven't done that for many years. You will be using cell phones."

"But we all have cell phones. Can't we use ours?" Izzy asked.

Stephen shook his head. "Your phones can be easily tracked by Valentine and his army. The phones we have for you here can't be tracked. Agent Bane made sure to use enough runes so the spells can't be broken and will keep everyone safe."

He turned and picked up a small metal suitcase from the table behind him. When facing his Shadowhunters again, he unlatched the hook and opened it. Clary's eyes widened when she saw an array of cell phones nestled in their own velvety case. Everything from a flip phone to an iPhone was there.

"Before you pick out your choice of phones, let me tell you that this will be the only phone you will be using. Your personal phones will be confiscated if we find out they're being used."

Stephen stepped forward and turned to face Izzy. She looked through her options with a contemplative expression, and chose hers. A red Android.

Moving right along, he stopped in front of Simon. Simon pushed his glasses up with his index finger and peered in the box, his brows knitted together. He seemed to be in deep concentration as his gaze swept over the myriad. Clary heard Jace clear his throat beside her, but she nudged him in the ribs with her elbow. Seconds passed, then minutes. Just as Clary was about to ask how long it would take for him to pick a damn phone, he jumped up and waved his selection around. An iPhone 3.

"Look at how cool this is, Fray!" He pointed and beamed at her.

"It certainly is, Simes," she smiled back.

Then it was Clary's turn. She inspected the phones laid out. Without any second thoughts, she plucked the black Blackberry out and slid it into the back pocket of her pants.

"You don't want an iPhone?" Jace asked, cocking his head to the side as he picked out an iPhone 4.

Clary took a few deep breaths before focusing on his face. Damn her hormones. "I've always wanted a Blackberry."

"Emergency numbers have been uploaded into your phones, but you will need to ask for each other's phone numbers if you need them," Stephen paused, and headed back to his desk, situating the case beside a stack of papers. "Before you go, I have one thing I would like for you to work on. Knowing the weaknesses of your partner is crucial. For instance, Agents Wayland, Fray, please step up."

An uncomfortable knot started at the pit of Clary's stomach as she moved forward and stood beside Jace.

"Face each other."

Both the Shadowhunters obliged.

"Agent Fray, lash out at your opponent. Wayland, defend, but don't attack."

"Yes, sir," Jace said.

Clary nodded, and took a deep breath. She leveled her gaze to Jace's and found a smirk affixed on his face. His eyes danced with excitement as Clary felt adrenaline rushing through her own veins. Deciding to play with her options a little, she dropped to her knees and kicked out, her foot only connecting with the air. Miraculously, Jace had stepped back just in time. She rose to her feet quickly, and swung out at him, missing him again.

"Stop," Stephen said, and walked over to Jace, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Now, _you_ tell me. What is your partner's biggest weakness?"

Jace shifted his gaze from the Boss' to Clary's. He looked at her for a moment, and then answered. "Her swings are too wide."

Stephen nodded. "Good. So that is one weakness of hers you need to work on. Agent Fray," he looked at her, "I assume you know, or will know, your partner's flaws."

Clary looked up to find Jace smiling smugly at her, no doubt thinking the same thing she was: _He had no weaknesses._

"All right, you may go now. Mr. Wayland, can you please drop Ms. Fray off at her house?"

"Yes, sir."

He held his hand out to her, and she took it this time, letting him lead the way.

ζ:Ω:ζ:Ω:ζ

Jace ran both his hands through his hair as Clary said her goodbyes to Izzy and Simon. Frankly, he didn't care enough to say anything to the fellow Shadowhunters. His nerves were already frazzled from the day before, and possibly the day before that. Ever since the red-head came into his life, almost every single thing changed. From his morning routines, to when he worked—he couldn't get her out of his head.

Images of her leg wrapped around his waist, her smart aleck mouth retorting a reply he hadn't anticipated she would ever say, or just the way she acted around him. It was as if she might even beat him. Or that he wasn't any better than her—which he was, but something in Clary made him feel . . . less powerful. Less . . . confident than he thought he was. It wasn't necessarily a bad thing, but these feelings surging through his veins were certainly new. New and raw. Each one clawing its way into his heart, begging to open up and let the feelings pour in.

But he couldn't do that. Not after what had happened. No. He couldn't.

"Okay, I'm ready. Let's go."

He snapped his head up to find Clary making her way toward him. Tumbles of red hair fell around her face and blew carelessly in the gentle wind. She wore a white coat on top of what she'd dressed in earlier that morning. He remembered looking at her through his periphery when she was watching him play. He could even feel her presence as though she were standing right next to him instead of on the other side of the wall.

"Jace? Mr. Perfect?" Clary waved her arms in front of his face. Jace blinked and looked down at her.

"Are you okay?"

Jace nodded. "Let's get you home before it's too late."

She smiled. "Okay."

They walked together in silence, neither of them trying to keep a conversation going. The quietness between them felt . . . normal, good even. There was no need to fill it with chatter. The only sound came from the crunch of the leaves beneath their feet and the faint tweeting of the birds around them. Other than that, it was just the twilight and their warmth seeping onto each other's bodies.

Jace clenched and unclenched his hands. Clary's thoughts were as vivid as the surroundings around him. He knew she was starting to grow feelings for him. Already. And it wasn't something he wanted to encounter—again. This mission needed to be free of any distractions. But it was sure as hell hard. So damn hard. He didn't know what to do. Not because Jace couldn't tell her to veil over her feelings with magic—he could. It was just that he didn't want to. Jace knew it was sickeningly wrong to let things stay as they were at the moment, but he wanted to know what she was feeling . . . what it might turn into. If it could.

God dammit. He knew he would have to tell her at one time or another. But for now, Jace wanted to enjoy the feeling of being wanted—not the way other girls wanted him, no. He liked the way the warmth radiated from Clary. There was a whole other dimension to someone liking him the way Clary did.

"We're home," he heard Clary's voice as he shook his head and looked at his surroundings.

They stood in front of a blue-colored house. Small flowers lined the stepping stones leading to the door. And tall, rectangular windows hugged either side of the frame. There was nothing fancy about this house. It didn't seem like a family of Shadowhunters lived inside from an outsider's point of view. Though inside might be another story entirely.

Clary started toward the house, following the path created by the rocks. Jace trailed behind, making sure to look around once in a while for safekeeping. Clary stopped short at the door and fished out the keys from her front pocket. She twisted them into the lock, and with a click, it swung wide open.

She stepped inside and motioned for Jace to come in. Nodding, he entered.

Clary shrugged out of her jacket and flicked on the switch. The entire room flooded with light. The inside was very different from what he'd expected. Pictures of Clary and her mother—with darker red hair and an angular face—covered all four walls. Jace was examining one of the pictures of Clary hanging upside down from a monkey bar with her long braids hanging in the air, when the phone rang.

"I'll be right back," she said and picked up the handset on the corner table.

Jace watched as Clary's face morphed into an expression of terror and unshed tears flooded eyes. The phone dropped from her palm and clattered to the ground with a thud.

Within seconds, he reached by her side. "Agent Fray? What happened? Ginger, is everything all right? Clary, answer me." Without thinking, Jace pulled her into an embrace, trailing his hands up and down her arm.

"What's wrong, Clary?" Jace whispered, rocking her back and forth as sobs broke through and spilled from her mouth.

A multitude of sensations ripped through Jace as each one enveloped him with great power.

Confusion.

Hurt.

Anger.

Pain.

Numbness.

Jace didn't know if he could take the suspense any longer. He knew something bad had happened, but what?

"L-L-Luke . . . M-m-m-mom . . . c-c-car cr-crash."

* * *

**Y'all knew this was coming, no? No? Maybe not. Well, I did. So, ha. *sticks tongue out* Oh, and my beta.**

**Speaking of my beta... guess who's the most wonderful beta extraordinaire ever? Guess, guess! That's right. Ddpjclaf. The ddpjclaf. She sent this chapter to me in less than a few hours! She's freaking made of awesomesauce. Gah. I love you, Cobra partner! Without you, well, this might sound very cliché-y, but, this would be nothing. Seriously. So thank you for all your support. *muah***

**And now, for updates and such. Well, *scratches head*, you've probably realized that updates are not going to be regular. But they will keep coming . . . even though they are going to be slow. I'm extremely sorry about that. But put together a crazy life and school, you've got a delirious me. So, on that note, I *will* continue this story, but bear with me about the updates thing.**

**Now, as for my formspring, I had to delete it for personal reasons. If you have any questions or anything, leave a review, or send me a PM, or whatever.**

**One last thing before I leave. Thank you *all* so much for your continued support! I really couldn't have finished this chapter without all those reviews. So, keep them coming. I love them so very much. :)**

**xx**

**~ LLWB**


	5. Chapter 5: Raining Pain

_A/N at the bottom. :)_

Song:

We All Need Saving - Jon McLaughlin

* * *

_***The Clandestine Affairs***_

_***Chapter Five: Raining Pain***_

* * *

The only thing he saw was her. The smallness of her frame as she lay under the pale blue sheets. Her brilliant red hair fanned over the pillow and her pale face looked so serene and calm—a sharp contrast to the feelings that festered inside her. Feelings that caused Jace pain. God knew why the Boss wanted them bound together. If they weren't, Jace wouldn't be feeling what she was feeling. He didn't _want_ these bouts of anxiety and numbness coursing through his veins.

Even though Clary had been sleeping for nearly an hour now, the pain continued to assault his system—it was becoming unbearable. The last time Jace felt like this was when he saw his father. But it was useless to think of him.

A few quiet sobs slipped from Clary's lips, bringing Jace back to reality. His stomach clenched in tight knots and made breathing in and out uncomfortable. Several thoughts swirled in his mind—all of which were about the girl in front of him. Tears rolled down her cheeks, and she fidgeted on the bed, her hands clutching and pulling at her hair.

Without thinking, Jace moved from his position and stood in front of Clary. He leaned down and gently pried her hands away, laying them by her side and murmuring soft-spoken words in her ear, hoping she would listen. There was a knock on the bedroom door, and before Jace could answer, the door opened and several Shadowhunters clustered around Clary.

Jace walked to the back of the room and let the adults help Clary. Several bustled about, trying to find medicines and other necessities. He knew he should assist them, but honestly, he was too exhausted to do anything else besides sit and watch. After Jace had carried a sobbing Clary up the stairs to her room and settled her on her bed, he immediately called the Shadowhunter Academy. A few minutes later, many appeared at the door and asked what had happened. He answered as calmly as he could with Clary crying in the background.

They'd put her to sleep—drawing a rune on her arm to help her settle down. Jace's father wasn't able to come because of his work, but other adults he knew did. His eyes scanned the room again. It occurred to him that he had never imagined Clary's space to be this way. Her bed was pushed against a wall, with a bookshelf that stood beside the bed. Pictures of her—from her youngest years to the present day—hung on the beige-colored walls around him while books and sketchbooks scattered across the floor.

"Agent Wayland?"

Jace turned to find a small, familiar-looking, middle-aged woman, with auburn hair and dark piercing eyes staring up at him. He recognized her as one of Stephen's personal assistants, Tianna. She wore Shadowhunter gear, and had one hand placed on her seraph blade while the other hung loosely by her side.

"Ambassador Lightwood would like to speak with you."

His brows rose in question, but followed her. Jace saw a tall, willowy woman dressed sharply in black. Her hair was twisted elaborately into a chignon. She stood next to Clary's bed and glanced up as Jace made his way over. He lifted his hand to his temple, palm straight, fingers stiff and almost touching his brow. He held it there for a few seconds and quickly brought it back down in a chopping motion. Maryse, the Ambassador, nodded, acknowledging his presence, and Jace dropped his hands to the side. He looked expectantly at her and waited.

Maryse leveled her gaze at him. "We need your help, Agent."

She briefly glanced at Clary before looking back at Jace. "You two have already been bound, correct?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Then I want you to do us all a favor."

Jace cocked his head to the side. "I'm not sure—"

"Ms. Fray is distraught. Her mind is unstable. She won't be able to focus on the mission. But, if she weren't able to remember the accident . . ." she trailed off.

Realization slowly sunk inside Jace, though it was quickly replaced with anger. "I won't do it, Ambassador."

She stepped forward and placed a hand on his shoulder. "You have to. For us. For the safety of this world.

Jace shrugged her hand off, and shook his head, moving away from the Ambassador, and toward the window. He examined the outside world, filled with both lightness and darkness—but more so of the latter. Though it was dusky outside, Jace imagined the New York streets still swarmed with traffic. Innocent bystanders walked to and from places—completely unaware of the dangerous happenings around them.

"It's not fair to her," he finally responded, turning back to face Maryse. "She needs to know what happened to her mother and Luke."

"And she will," Maryse responded patiently, "after the mission. As for now, you will have to do this, Agent. This accounts for your job."

When Jace didn't move from his spot, he heard a throat clearing and found the Ambassador looking at him pointedly.

"You have to do this," she said, and stepped to the side to let Jace walk over to the bed. "The Shadowhunters and I will leave, but will shortly come back to check if the job has been done. Do not delay this."

Within a matter of minutes, the Shadowhunters had left, leaving only Jace and Clary in the room. Jace ran his fingers through his hair and sighed. He swore a couple times under his breath before putting himself to work. Only one thought ran through his mind as he prepared himself for the onslaught of emotions about to happen: _She will never forgive me._

ζ:Ω:ζ:Ω:ζ

Clary woke up to the smell of pancakes. She blinked and sighed contentedly, flipping over so her back was to the blinds that filtered sunlight into the room. She closed her eyes once again, trying to forget about the scent and go back to sleep, but her bed was getting too warm and her legs were tangled in the sheets.

Not able to lie down another moment, she pulled herself up and glanced at her surroundings. Her bedroom looked messier than usual, but other than that, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. But, there was _something_ that felt wrong to her. The feeling lingered in the air as Clary walked over to her closet and took out her clothes for the day, and then padded over to the bathroom.

She looked in the mirror and noticed the dark circles underneath her dull green eyes. Her fiery red hair stuck out at odd angles, proving the point that she needed a nice, warm shower. She proceeded to turn on the water and climbed in, making sure to loosen the taut muscles and clean up herself.

After a thorough shower, Clary climbed out, toweled herself, and pulled on a pair of jeans and a yellow hoodie. Without further delay, she bounded down the stairs, unable to keep her growling stomach quiet anymore.

The closer she got to the kitchen, the stronger the sweet scent of blueberries and maple syrup were.

"Mom?" she called out, hoping Jocelyn hadn't gone out with Luke for their wedding plans.

No answer.

"Mo—" Clary was about to call again, when she stopped short.

In front of her, stood Jace. He wore dark pajamas with a black t-shirt, his hair tumbling in rogue curls over his forehead. One of his hands rested on the side of the big bowl while the other beat the mix with a whisk. Clary noticed as the muscles in his arms flexed and released as he whisked the batter. Once done, he poured it onto the skillet. Clary watched intently as the batter flowed out and settled into perfect circles on the metal.

Warmth spread from her neck up and settled in her cheeks as she remembered the last time the two were in the kitchen. Eating plump, ripe strawberries. Nervously, Clary glanced around her, making sure no strawberries were in plain view. Thankfully, she didn't spy any, and hoped Jocelyn wouldn't buy them any time soon. Not that she minded eating them, but with Jace . . . well, he just made everything a hundred times sexier. Even pancakes.

Unable to hold her surprise any longer, Clary spoke, astonishment clear in her voice. "_Jace?_"

He started, tipping over the bowl of batter onto the skillet for too long, and messing up on the second set of pancakes he'd started making. Slowly, Jace turned to face her, his expression devoid of any emotion.

"Good morning, Ginger."

"Mr. Perfect," she greeted him, her eyes narrowing. "What are you doing in my house?"

He quirked a brow. "Don't you remember inviting me to a sleepover last night?"

Clary looked at him questioningly, though it was all starting to come back little by little. The session with Magnus she was supposed to have, but instead Jace had taken over, and given her some of his powers. The new phone she'd gotten from the Academy. The walk from there to her house. She remembered how perfectly at ease she felt when they were walking together. No chatter, nothing was needed to fill the silence. She guessed it was true what they said about silence. It was golden. Golden, indeed, like Jace and his eyes, hair . . . .

She shook her head. Clary couldn't recall anything after the walk, though. It was a blank. What had happened? Maybe she'd fallen asleep on him when he was wishing her a good night? Did he even wish her a good night?

"I can't seem to remember, so no."

"Ah, that's quite all right. I'm sure my presence rendered you incapable of coherent thought."

Clary gave him a look. "Sure, that was it," she said, eyeing the sizzling pancakes.

"Are those blueberry?"

"Yeah, heard you liked them." He turned back to the skillet and picked up the black spatula, expertly flipping the pancakes over. They made a hissing sound as the heat rose and cooked the batter.

Clary smiled. She didn't know Jace had a sweet side to him—let alone cooking skills. Usually Jocelyn, or Luke, was the one that made breakfast for her, whether it be during school time or summer time.

"So, where are my parents, do you know?" she asked, weighing her options about getting worried for them.

"She said something about a wedding—congrats on that, by the way."

He turned and waved his arm toward the dining table, and on it sat two plates, two glasses of orange juice, and a big bowl of red strawberries.

Clary's jaw dropped at the sight of the fruit she wanted to see the least. She didn't want to have to go through what had happened last time. It was embarrassing to even think about, considering she'd known Jace had known that she was teasing him. But then she remembered the look on his face when she ate them and felt a surge of happiness wash over her, knowing that _she_ was the one that had caused him to make that expression in the first place.

"Something wrong?"

She faced him, watching his eyes dance with amusement. Clearing her throat, she replied, "No . . ."

Her eyes strayed to the pancakes. She nodded toward them, asking, "Need help?"

He shook his head. "Almost done. Oh, I forgot to tell you. I invited your dork of a friend over."

Clary crossed her arms over her chest and gave him a cold look. "He has a name."

"Your point?"

She sighed. "Never mind. How come there are only two plates?"

"Because I will be leaving."

"To where?"

He shrugged. "Just errands. I want you to do something before I leave, though."

"What?" Clary's brows furrowed.

"Levitate the pancakes and place them on the plates."

"Okay . . ." she said uncertainly.

Clary drew in a steady breath, hoping against hope she wouldn't drop the breakfast. She leveled her gaze with the food and pointed with her right index finger at the flapjack she was about to levitate. Slowly, she raised it, and to her astonishment, it all came very easily to her. The food gently rose and did as she commanded with her fingers. With ease, Clary settled the first one onto the plate. In a matter of seconds, all the pancakes were situated on each of the plates. She let out a sigh of relief and turned to Jace with a smile.

The look on his face surprised her. It was something she'd never seen him do. His golden eyes burned furiously, as if on fire, and a small smile curled up at the corners of his mouth. Clary's smile was an automatic reaction to his.

"Hey . . . guys?"

Clary whirled to find her best friend standing in the doorway. His dark hair looked disheveled and he wore a yellow shirt with a pair of blue shorts. Sweat dripped from his hair and rolled down his cheek.

"Hey!" Clary replied and went to greet him.

Simon smiled and waved to Jace. Jace in turn gave a short nod.

"I'll just be heading out. See you, Clary. Later, Dork," he said.

"Later," Clary said.

Simon waved at Jace's retreating back.

Simon turned back to Clary, his eyebrows knitted together. "Why does he insist on calling me that?"

Clary giggled. "I don't know. But we all know you are my dork."

"Yeah, thanks, I'm glad," he mumbled.

"Come on," she said, taking his hand and pulling him toward the dining table. "We've got pancakes for breakfast."

Once in the kitchen, Clary took out the maple syrup from the cupboard and joined Simon at the table. She drenched her food completely with the syrupy goodness, while Simon took out the strawberries and placed them on top of his pancakes. Simon then passed the fruit to Clary and she hesitantly took it, keeping away the memories they caused to flood in her mind.

"So, Simon," she started, "where were you this morning?"

"Went for a thirty minute run," he said, taking a bite out of his food. "And by that I mean ten minutes running, ten minutes nearly vomiting, and ten minutes walking home."

Clary laughed, and patted his head. "Remind me to come with you the next time you go on a run."

"Way ahead of you," he said and pulled his phone out. He quickly typed something and put his phone back.

Clary's own phone buzzed and she fished it out of her pocket.

She smiled as she read it:

**From:** Simon Lewis

**To:** Clary Fray

Keep me from puking next time.

_-Rock on_

ζ:Ω:ζ:Ω:ζ

Jace stood in front of the large mahogany wooden doors of the board room. Magnus texted and called him several times to let him know the board members wanted to speak with him. He'd also added he wanted Jace to meet with someone he knew. The last part wasn't something Jace was too excited about. He abhorred the thought of adding someone else to the mission. It was already too dangerous for the staff to let Simon and Clary participate, although Jace was sure he and Izzy would have no problem keeping the other two Shadowhunters out of trouble. Still, it worried him to no end.

A couple of muffled voices sounded and broke his reverie. Leaning closer, Jace could hear a few words being spoken.

"I can't erase that part of his memory." Sounded like Magnus.

_What memory?_ Jace wondered. Were they talking about what had happened last night?

"Are you sure, Agent Bane? It's of great importance to us he doesn't remember any of it."

"Only the one he's bound to can erase it. I can't."

Confusion still stirred in his mind as Jace raised his fist to the door and knocked.

The doors swung open automatically and revealed the Boss, Magnus, Isabelle, Ambassador, a girl with dark curly hair, whose back faced him, and several other members of the faculty. They all sat at the table with a cup of a drink and a plate with croissants stacked for each of them.

"Come in, Agent Wayland."

Jace quickly saluted before making his way, sitting on the right of Magnus and across from the Boss. He ran a hand through his hair and glanced at everyone around the table. Each of them wore crisp, formal clothing, their faces stern, all of them, including Isabelle, discussed important matters with people sitting beside them. Jace knew all of the people as he glanced around, but froze when he saw one person.

"Hello, Agent," she almost purred.

Jace fought the urge to grimace at the sound of her scratchy voice. Instead, he gave her a lopsided smile and nodded. "Hey, Maia."

"Long time no see." She winked.

"Yeah."

He wanted to keep his conversation with Maia as short as possible. The last thing he wanted to do was bring up the memories he'd tried so hard to suppress over the years. Making another mistake in this mission would not be the best idea, especially considering Clary's life would be at stake—What the hell? _Clary?_ He knew she was one of the best Shadowhunters they had, but Jace couldn't help the protectiveness he felt over her whenever she was around. Not just because he'd erased one of the most important memories of her life, but just the thought of Clary—small, innocent—getting hurt caused him discomfort. Jace shook his head, trying to clear all thoughts from his mind.

Just as Jace was about to question Magnus about Maia's presence, the clinking of glass brought his attention to his superiors. The Boss's gaze stopped on each and every one of them. He glanced at Maryse, who gave him a short nod, before returning his gaze to the people in front of him.

"Good morning," Stephen said.

Everybody mumbled back a response.

"Ambassador Lightwood and I have decided when CA will commence." He paused, looking around the room. "In two days. We have thought the sooner we start the mission, the better it will be for the good of the people. Valentine has been reported to be causing a stir in South America. Which means," he said, excitement twinkling in his eyes, "the Agents will be going to Rio de Janeiro."

Murmured whispers passed through everyone. Jace glanced at Isabelle, and noticed her face was morphed into shock. He was sure his expression was identical to Izzy's. Never before had he been to South America. _This is going to be fun_, he thought. A small smile involuntarily pulled up at the corner of his lips and to his surprise, he found Maia beaming back at him. Shaking his head, he turned his attention to the front again.

Stephen reached for his cup of coffee, taking a sip out of it, before situating it back in its place. "There also has been a new addition to the mission."

He smiled and nodded toward Maia. "Maia Roberts."

She grinned. "Delighted to be of assistance."

"What do you mean by 'new addition', Boss?" Isabelle asked, leaning forward and looking intently at Stephen.

"She will be helping you and Agent Wayland along the way. To keep us updated, and, for a less technical word: to spy."

Jace leaned forward as well, placing one of his hands on the table. "And exactly why aren't Agents Lewis and Fray present for this meeting?"

It was Maryse who spoke this time, her tone formal and clipped. "We do not wish for them to know about Agent Roberts as of now. There are a few things we would like to keep to ourselves."

Isabelle tried again. "But, why—"

Maryse's eyes flashed at her. "Don't question my authority, Isabelle."

Defeated, she slumped back in her seat, her cheeks tinged with pink, and looked down. "Yes, Mother," she muttered.

After a few seconds of uncomfortable silence, Stephen cleared his throat. "Agents, you all are dismissed. The rest of us will discuss the matter further. We do expect you to arrive here tomorrow to get the details for the mission. Understood?"

The three Shadowhunters nodded.

"Good. Rise and disperse."

Jace, Isabelle, and Maia rose, saluted, and left the room. Once outside, Jace slowed his pace and pulled Isabelle to the side. He looked toward the one Shadowhunter he'd learned to trust, to treat her like family, to not let anything come between their family relationship. He scanned her face, questions filled her eyes.

"Why the hell did they pick Maia?" she half-whispered, surreptitiously glancing around for Maia.

Jace noticed she was a couple feet away, observing a poster on the wall.

"I don't know," he said, running his hand through his golden locks. "I just don't know. I'm sure they know what happened between us, then . . . " Jace trailed off.

"Are you two kiddos done gossiping about me?"

The two Shadowhunters turned to face a very bored looking Maia.

Izzy shrugged. "I'm leaving. Talk to you later, Jace . . . Maia."

When she was out of sight, Jace faced Maia and fixed his face into a blank stare, letting some annoyance seep into his voice. "What do you want, Maia?"

Maia smiled, fluttering her lashes, and moved toward him, until she was few inches away. She lifted a hand and raked it along the buttons of his white shirt, slipping a red fingernail in the spaces between.

Jace caught hold of her hand and pushed it away gently, yet with enough force to give her a hint he didn't want to be touched. "Don't."

"Why? Jace, I've missed you." Maia leaned up and brushed her lips against his cheek. "I've missed you so, so much."

"Maia, you need to—"

"_Jace?_"

Hell, that small voice. He knew it so well, despite only having met her a few days ago.

Both Maia and Jace turned to find a wide-eyed Clary standing in the corridor of the Academy.

Everyone stood still for a few seconds, when Jace heard Magnus call Clary in. With a nod, she made her way over, her head down, and shoulders hunched. Just as she passed Jace, Clary glanced at him. He felt a weird twinge in his stomach at the expression she had on her face. Before he could talk to her, she looked down and proceeded forward. He watched her step inside the room and close the door shut behind her, leaving a void of emptiness in her place.

* * *

Okay, I know, another cliffy. Sorry, but I love them oh so much.

**Few things:**

**Thank-you's: **Thank you so much for your enthusiastic response to the previous chapters! I couldn't be happier that you all are enjoying this story as much as I am.

**Acknowledgements: **

_Beta: _First and foremost, thanks to ddpjclaf for being the best beta anyone could ever have. Love you. xoxo

_Maxwaylandgrey and Camibandlover: _Thank you for always being there and asking about CAJ. His ego has been boosted to no end.

**Info about the next update/if you have any questions/etc.: **Find me on twitter! I'm always on there, so if you have any questions/comments/concerns, or just want to say hi, see me there. (link on my profile)

_Anyway, I hope to see you all soon, lovelies. Leave me some love in the review box, will you? :)_

xoxo,

LLWB


	6. Chapter 6: Priorities

Hi, everyone. It's me again. I know it's been, uh, quite a while since I'd last updated this story. I'm really sorry about the late update. I had this chapter done around 4 months ago, but there were some parts of it that didn't satisfy me enough to post. Now it has.

Anyway, I hope you guys still remember what's going on. And, thanks so much for your continued support! I'm still getting faved alerts for this story, and I'm impressed. Which is also another reason that drove me to post it today.

Regarding when I'll update, my answer is: hopefully soon. I'll be on Spring Break next week so I'll probably writing away. *crosses fingers*

Also, thank my fantastic beta, ddpjclaf, for getting this beast back to me so quickly. Love you, girly! XOXO

Anyway, I hope you enjoy the chapter!

_Songs: I Can Do Better - Avril Lavigne_

* * *

_***Clandestine Affairs***_

_***Chapter Six: Priorities***_

* * *

_Where are you?_

It wasn't the first time Clary had thanked the Angel for Magnus' willingess to meet her so early in the morning to help her learn to control and block her thoughts around Jace. But even the assurance that she now had a good handle on how to do it still didn't stop the roll of nausea that washed through her when Jace sent her another telepathic message.

The sixteenth one in a matter of a few minutes.

To say she was avoiding him was the understatement of the year. If he were in the same room as her, she'd quickly turn around and leave. If their paths crossed, Clary kept her head down and walked away. So brushing away the telepathic message was no big deal to her. Clary focused on other important matters, such as training with Izzy and Simon, instead of listening to Jace.

She couldn't believe this was happening. Earlier, she'd been excited about the upcoming mission, but now she couldn't wait for it to be over. She didn't understand what was wrong with her. Why she kept avoiding Jace? Why couldn't she stand to meet his eyes when he glanced at her? She just didn't get it. Clary didn't even want to go anymore if that brunette, curly-haired girl—_Maia_, she'd heard Jace call her—was going to be with them.

And for this, she knew she wouldn't be able to blame anyone except herself. Not even the new girl Clary had seen all over Jace earlier. No, it was _Clary_ who had let her feelings get in the way. Seeing the other girl touching Jace like that sent angry shudders down Clary's spine. Who the hell did Maia think she was anyway? His girlfriend? But then another thought struck her. What if she _was_? Wouldn't Jace have said something about that?

Shaking her head, Clary walked into the training room. Simon was already practicing a few swings with his sword, when she cleared her throat. He turned and marched over, stopping just shy of her.

Clary took him in. Simon. _Her_ Simon. His shaggy brown hair tumbled into his eyes, and his now-sharp cheekbones gave him the look of an older boy. Her eyes traveled down the length of him and noticed he wore black Shadowhunter gear. He was someone Clary recognized, but couldn't at the same time.

It was bizarre for her to think it was only a few months earlier that she'd known everything that happened in Simon's life and vice-versa. Thankfully, even after all this, nothing had changed between them.

"Are you checking me out?" Simon teased.

Clary looked up to see a friendly smile on his face. Snorting, she swatted his arm. "No."

Simon raised his hands in surrender. "Sure, sure." He bent and picked up a blade from the ground, then pointed it at Clary.

"Thanks," she said as she took the weapon from him.

"Just straight on combat?" Simon asked.

"Yep." Clary tested the sword out in her hands, twirling it this way and that.

The two made their way over to the center of the room and stood a few feet apart. Simon practiced a few swings, while Clary positioned herself in her fighting stance. Once ready, she leveled her gaze with Simon, excitement rushing through her. Simon raised his weapon and brought it down, swiping at Clary. She jumped back and felt adrenaline spread through and power her up. It felt good to stretch her muscles again-tightening and releasing at the force of the quick pace they were fighting.

Clary swung her blade in perfect circles a couple times before lunging toward her best friend. In response, he blocked the blow with such power Clary felt vibrations radiate from the palm of her hand out to every inch of her body. She raised her brows at Simon, who in turn grinned back.

"Not bad," she complimented.

Simon shrugged. Without saying another word, he clashed his weapon against Clary's. Block against block, swipe against swipe, whip against whip. Each time the sabers clanged, sparks ignited and flew off in all directions. It surprised Clary that her best friend wasn't holding back. In fact, he put as much power as he could behind his strikes as far as she could tell.

Just as Clary was about to bring down her blade down on top of Simon's, she heard a throat clear behind her.

Both Shadowhunters whirled to face the person standing in front of them.

"Jace." The word fell from Clary's mouth in a hushed whisper.

There he stood, leaning against the door frame, golden eyes piercing into her green ones, his arms crossed over his chest and a scowl on his face. He wore plain blue jeans, hanging low off his hips, with a dark t-shirt.

Clary couldn't believe the amount of energy she had to use restrain from throwing herself into his arms. He looked absolutely delicious, even though he was only in casual wear. She clenched and unclenched her fists, looking anywhere but at him. The more she ignored, the more she felt the tension in the room grow.

She looked at a spot behind Jace and focused on it rather than the person that made her heart beat incredibly fast-as if she'd just run a marathon and hadn't stopped to take a breath. Finally, the silence became too much and she spoke.

"What are you doing here?" Clary hoped to God her voice didn't waver.

"Isabelle said she needed him." Jace nodded toward Simon. Neither his face nor his voice conveyed anything.

She felt Simon tense beside her, but made no move in the direction of the door.

"What does she need me for?" Simon asked.

Clary drew her eyes to Jace, as he did a one shoulder shrug. "Not sure."

Simon sighed and turned to Clary. "Will you be okay?"

She looked up at him and gave him a small smile. "Of course. We can finish this later."

He nodded. Taking a deep breath, he whirled and strode over to where the blond Shadowhunter stood. Simon leaned in and whispered something to him then drew back and left. Clary shifted her gaze to Jace and noticed he'd raised an eyebrow in Simon's direction.

When Simon was completely out of sight, Jace pushed off the frame and turned to the door. He lifted his hand to the knob and gently closed it. Reaching back, he pulled out his stele and created a rune on the wooden entryway. In a matter of moments, a satisfactory beep sounded. Once done, Jace placed the stele in the back pocket of his jeans and faced Clary, a predatory gleam in his eyes.

Clary felt her stomach churn and her palms start to sweat. She knew what it meant when he'd placed the rune on the door and it made the beeping noise. It meant no one could enter and not a word could be heard from inside to outside. It was like they were in their own bubble, except it was a room.

The only way the rune could be broken was if Clary were to break his stele, but she had no idea how to do that, so instead, she slowly took a few steps back as Jace made his way toward her. Clary could see several emotions flashing through his eyes. But they changed too quickly for her to decipher what they meant. Only one lingered-curiosity, maybe-before that also flickered out.

Rage shot through Clary as he continued to walk toward her. She took a few breaths to calm down, but even that wasn't helping.

"You lied to Simon about Izzy, didn't you?"

He halted for a split second, confusion crossing his face, and shook his head. "Why would I do that?"

Clary came to a stop too. "Be-because," she said, not sure what to say next. She couldn't just blurt out what she had in mind-that it was what he had done. Hurt her feelings, whether it was subconsciously or not. But, that was probably the last thing she'd ever say to Jace. Clary didn't want to ruin the relationship they had more than it already was.

His brows rose and he sauntered toward her again. He was only a foot or two away.

Unconsciously, Clary backed up against the wall, until she felt her shoulder blades come in contact with the padding.

Her palms started to sweat. God, what was he going to do? Anticipation, nervousness, and a tiny bit of hope flooded through her.

"You've been avoiding me," he said simply.

She quickly glanced at her surroundings, but there was no way out. He was standing a few inches away from her now. Her breathing sped as his golden eyes studied her.

"I don't know what you're talking about." But she knew exactly what he was referring to.

"Oh really?"

She nodded.

"Then look at me."

Clary stared at the floor beneath her. There was no way in hell she was going to. She knew what happened when she did that. His eyes did things to her. Made her melt in just one second flat. She couldn't let that happen. She just couldn't. Not if the Academy wanted her to concentrate on the mission.

Although most of her brain was too preoccupied to think, her instincts and the rest of her body told her to run. To run away and not listen to what he was saying. But the question was: could she run away from him? If she could, could she open the door he'd locked? Her heart felt heavy as she realized something. There was no way out.

Jace sighed. "All right, don't. I'm not going to force you to do anything, but . . ." he trailed off.

Clary peeked up at him through her lashes, wondering why he didn't finish.

One of his hands ran through his unruly golden locks while the other was clenched into a fist. "I'm," he said, lowering his head, then fixing his gaze to Clary's, "I'm sorry about yesterday."

He stepped closer. Clary's heart beat faster and faster. The feelings she wanted to push away and leave stranded on an island came rushing right back. _Breathe_, Clary, _breathe_, she tried to remind herself, but as always, whenever Jace was around, she would forget about everything but him.

"Jace, I-I don't know what you're talking about."

He didn't say anything. Instead, he placed both his hands on either side of her face, bringing his body impossibly close and lowering his face to hers.

Clary couldn't breathe. She couldn't. The blood in her veins rushed through her and pounded so loudly, she was afraid he could hear. Every part of her body that came in contact with his felt as if it were alive. On fire. Burning so hot she thought it would scorch her. But when she looked into his eyes, she saw no indication that he knew what he was doing to her. To her mind. To her body.

God, he was close. So_ incredibly_ close. She could smell the sweetness of his gum as his breath fanned over her face. Almost taste it. His lips were now centimeters from hers. _This is it. It's going to happen._ Clary bit her bottom lip in anticipation.

His mouth lingered above hers, almost teasing Clary, but it lowered even more, softly brushing his lips against Clary's chin. She clenched her eyes shut and shrunk herself into the wall even more, until something in her just . . . snapped. Without even registering what was happening, let alone what her body was doing, she pushed Jace back with all the force she had in her body. Her eyes widened when she realized what she'd done. She looked at him and saw the shock in his wide, golden eyes.

Clary couldn't comprehend. She had just shoved Jace Wayland away when he was about to kiss her. Apparently something was boiling inside of her all this time and it wanted out, so badly that she had pushed him away.

"Leave me alone," the cold words slipped from her mouth before she could stop them.

Jace's brows knitted together, but he showed no sign of hurt. Only his eyes hardened and widened an infinitesimal amount. He reached for her hand, but Clary tried to back into the wall as much as she could.

"What part of 'leave me alone' don't you get, Jonathan?" Clary asked. She forced herself to stand up straight and meet his gaze levelly. But she would be lying if she said it was the easiest thing she'd ever done.

Jace closed his fist and pulled it back to his side. "Never," he hissed, "call me that. Do you understand?"

Clary gulped, but gave a little nod.

His mouth pressed into a hard, impassive line. "I wanted to know something, or are you going to push me away again before I ask you?"

Clary watched his eyes, full of anger now. So much anger that all Clary could see was fire. Gone was the Jace she had seen a few moments ago. He had been replaced with someone she didn't know at all. The tone of his voice mimicked Clary's, and if she was being honest with herself, scared her a little.

She folded her arms across her chest and raised both her brows. "And you thought persuading me might lead you to your damn answer?" Her voice rose in volume.

His increased in return. "No. But, I-"

"I don't care, Jace. I just don't care. Go kiss the hell out of Maia whenever you want, all right? Just keep me out of this."

She looked at her surroundings, wanting to do anything other than just stand there, almost ready to burst again. And then she thought of it. A way out. Breaking the stele. Of course.

"Is that what you think I want?" Astonishment was clear in his voice, but that didn't stop Clary.

She pulled herself closer to him, almost flush against his body. She placed her hands on his waist, and slid them slowly, painfully, back to where the stele was. "I _know_ that's what you want," she whispered, searching his eyes for something, anything, to know if what he was saying earlier was true. His expression was still impassive.

Her hand closed around the stele and pulled it out easily.

"Clary, what-" he started, confusion crossing his face, but she cut him off.

Clary held up the gleaming stele and pointed it toward the door. "I need to go," she spoke impatiently. "And _this_," she gestured at the weapon she held in her hand, "is a way out."

Suddenly, the flames were back in his eyes. "That won't be necessary," his reply was curt. He turned to the door and said, "Aperto."

_Open._

She dropped the weapon on the floor and faced the door, watching it open automatically from his command. Clary couldn't believe she'd forgotten that was another way to get out of the spell. Shaking her head, she crossed the room as quickly as possible and stepped over the threshold, not pausing to look back. She needed to let some steam out, and she knew just where to go.

ζ:Ω:ζ:Ω:ζ

Jace raked a hand lazily through his golden curls and let out a slow breath. He didn't know how long he'd stood there, but everything that happened was unclear to him. What the hell had happened? He was only trying to kiss _Clary_-his partner, for Angel's sake. He knew it wasn't allowed. He knew it. Yet somehow whenever he saw her, nothing else mattered. His surroundings became hazy, but she was the only thing that wasn't. She had stood there in front of him as clear as crystal.

And then something came over him and he had the sudden urge to kiss her. Maybe he did deserve that shove from her. Jace could still feel the warmth on his chest from her tiny hands.

He groaned and lowered his face into his hands. What had he done? He was breaking the rules. The only rules in his life he ever followed, and now one little, _insignificant_ girl came into his life, ruining everything he had ever believed.

Too many thoughts bombarded his brain as he picked up his stele from the ground. But now he knew the one way to possibly have Clary like him was if he got to know her more. If only he'd gone slower, if only they'd become friends before he acted on impulse. With that thought lingering in his mind, he made his way across the room, stepping over the entrance. He quietly closed the door behind him and started walking toward his car when he heard someone's footsteps.

"Hey, sexy," a gravelly voice drawled out from behind him.

He clenched and unclenched his fists. He turned to face the one person he didn't want to see.

"What do you want, Maia?" He scowled.

She cocked her head to the side. "Have you forgotten already?"

"What the hell are you talking about?"

Maia smiled predatorily. She strode toward him and stopped just shy of his body. "A kiss, of course."

"Pass."

She raised her hand and traced her finger along his cheekbone. "Don't be like that, sugar. Remember how much fun we had the other time?"

Jace brushed her off and stepped back. "This really isn't the time."

"Oh really? Are you hung up on the new girl now?"

"I'm not sure what you're talking about," he said, the lies coming to him easily.

She laughed humorlessly. "Don't give me that bullshit, Jace. Surely you know her-your partner for the mission? Clary? Clarissa Fray?"

He crossed his arms. "Yeah, what about her?"

"You're not starting to fall for that amateur, are you?"

Jace chuckled. "Jealous, Roberts?"

"You didn't answer my question, Wayland."

He shrugged. "Not your business, as far as I can tell."

"Whatever," she dismissed his comment, and asked her question impatiently, "When am I getting my kiss?"

Jace lowered his face to her ear and whispered, "Never."

"Agents Wayland and Fray, please report to the Boss immediately. Agents Lightwood and Lewis, please report to the Ambassador," a voice blared from the speakers, interrupting Maia from responding back.

"That's my cue."

"This isn't over, Jace," she hissed.

"Oh, I know. You can't resist me."

"Leave." But now she was smiling.

A smile tugged at the corner of his lips as he turned and strode toward his destination. Maia wasn't a bad person-in fact, she could be a great friend if it weren't for the feelings she still had for him. That much was still clear. Jace knew she wouldn't give up easily, but she had to know, neither would he. But not for her. For a red-headed Agent. For Clary.

ζ:Ω:ζ:Ω:ζ

Jace was already sitting comfortably in his seat when Clary walked in the room. She kept her head low and sat as far away from him as her chair allowed.

For the past hour, she had been in the library, reading and drawing, but more so of the latter. Although reading was her escape from the reality of the world, drawing was what really kept her grounded.

Thankfully, all she could draw this time was water. Water, water, and more water. She didn't know why. Maybe it was because she hadn't practiced her elemental powers recently, and she still had to figure out which element suited her best. Even though most Agents could use fire, water, air, and earth, many of them had one they were best at. Clary heard that Jace specialized in all of them, which wasn't at all a surprise to her, but she was worried if she would specialize in any of them, if any at all. She'd always thought it was impressive when Agents conjured up water from God knows where and used it against their enemy.

But Clary figured she'd learn sooner or later, most likely by Jace himself, because she was recently notified-to somewhat of her dismay-that he was her "mentor" as well as her partner. Perhaps that was what had caused her sudden reaction to Jace earlier.

No, that couldn't be it. He had tried to kiss her. _Kiss her._ At least, that was what she thought would happen when his face was impossibly close to hers. Now she knew she didn't want to make out with him. No matter how attractive, cocky, and . . . She shook her head. Her mind was going places where she would not let it go.

_Focus, Clary, focus. You can do this._

The Academy called her to fulfill the task of killing Valentine because they thought she was one of the best female Shadowhunters. If she kept messing it up by thinking about her feelings about a certain blond male, she was surely going to get fired, or worse.

Clary took a shaky breath and glanced up at the Boss. He held a phone to his ear while his other hand typed something on the keyboard in front of him. He nodded a couple of times, shook his head, and thanked the caller. Once done, the Boss situated the phone on the table and clasped his hands together, as if he was praying.

"So," he started, "You two excited for tomorrow?"

Both Shadowhunters nodded their heads dutifully. Clary cast a glance at Jace and noticed a smile playing at his lips. She tried to smile, but all she could think about was: What if Jocelyn refused to let her go?

"Agent Fray?"

Clary heard the Boss calling her name, pulling her out of the thoughts nagging at her.

"Yes?"

"I have talked to your parents-as well as yours, Agent Wayland-and they have given their consent on the issue of CA."

Clary's jaw fell slack in surprise. "My mom agreed?" Skepticism seeped into her voice.

"I believe so. She didn't resent any of the rules this morning when we had our meeting. But if you wish, you may speak to her about this."

All she could do was nod. Jocelyn was letting her go? Just like that? Without any fuss? Something about that seemed off to Clary. Jocelyn was one of those "over-protective" parents, to say the least. And sending Clary off was unlike her. But if she agreed, then Clary wasn't going to complain. Nevertheless, Clary still wanted to make sure and hear it from her mother's mouth that she was allowed to go.

"Anyway, I assume both of you know the flight is tomorrow morning, at nine o'clock. There is a stop in between, but the overall journey is around ten hours to Rio de Janeiro. I expect you two to arrive at the airport two hours prior, and bring along all the necessities you need."

Stephen reached down and pulled one of the drawers that were to his right. He took out the plane tickets and hand one each to Clary and Jace.

"One more thing. Once you're done with the mission in that area, you will be automatically notified on your phones about your next location," he paused. "Any questions?"

No one spoke.

"All right. Good. See you both tomorrow morning."

ζ:Ω:ζ:Ω:ζ

When Clary walked out of the Academy, she found Dean standing in front of her car. He held the door open for her and she smiled appreciatively at him. She looked back and saw Jace walking toward his own car, but no chauffeur. She frowned.

Clary thought everyone got a driver for their car, but as she continued to watch him walk away, her jaw practically dropped to the floor. His car was black . . . So sleek and _pretty_ and a _freaking ferrari_. God, the urge to ride in that car with him was too much to bear. Just imagining him driving it already sent shivers dancing up her spine.

Quickly, Clary turned back to her car and slipped inside. She comforted herself with the new car smell and the cushiony leather seats. Clary closed her eyes.

Ah, bliss.

"Clary?" Dean asked.

"Hmm?"

Sleep was starting to overpower her senses, even though it was only six o'clock in the evening, and she struggled to keep her eyelids open.

"On your mission, I'm still authorized to help you whenever you need."

"Okay," she mumbled.

"That means," he continued, "If you end up in Antarctica, I can still come over and help."

Clary giggled. "I won't forget," she promised.

"And," he added, "I won't be dropping you off at the airport tomorrow. You'll have a different driver."

She nodded. She didn't care how she got to the airport as long as she got there on time.

She was about to give in to sleep when her phone buzzed. Clary grumbled and fished it out from her pockets.

Her eyes widened and her heart hammered inside her chest as she saw who it was from. Jace.

**From: Jace Wayland**

**To: Clary Fray**

_Try to be more subtle next time you're checking me out._

_-Best Agent in Shadowhunter Academy_

Clary stifled a gasp. How did he know she was looking? Pressing her lips together, she typed off a response and clicked sent.

**From: Clary Fray**

**To: Jace Wayland**

_I was checking out the car, not you._

_-A better Shadowhunter Agent than Jace Wayland_

The response was almost instantaneous.

**From: Jace Wayland**

**To: Clary Fray**

_Why don't I believe that?_

_-Not possible, Ginger_

Clary let out an involuntary laugh. And just like that, she wanted to fix whatever had happened between them today. Even though Clary wasn't ready to forgive him just yet, she did want to keep talking to the boy that brought a smile to her lips.

**From: Clary Fray**

**To: Jace Wayland**

_Because I would never check you out._

_-Pretty much anything is if you put your mind to it_

**From: Jace Wayland**

**To: Clary Fray**

_Ouch. My ego._

_-I'll keep that in mind_

This time, the power of sleep surged through her so forcefully, she abstained from replying back and quickly put the phone back in her pocket. In a matter of moments, Clary was asleep.

* * *

Leave some love for these two, will you? :)


	7. Chapter 7: The Heavenly Ring

A/N at the bottom.

Songs: Power - Kanye West; Glad You Came - The Wanted

* * *

Disclaimer: Mortal Instruments and all its associated characters, places and events all belong to Cassandra Clare and the copyright holders. This is a non-profit fan work and no copyright infringement is intended. All other work belongs to lightlacedwithbeauty.

* * *

**_*Clandestine Affairs*_**

**_*Chapter Seven: The Heavenly Ring*_**

* * *

Moonlight filtered through Jace's window, emitting a soft glow in his room. He lay on his bed with one arm tucked under his head and the other on his stomach. Jace sighed and glanced at the alarm clock on the bedside table. The numbers blinked at him: _4:15_, only a couple more hours before the flight. Only a couple more hours before the mission began. He felt a surge of excitement rush through his muscles.

One of the things he enjoyed about the missions was the places he was sent to. So far, he had been to many places around the world, including secluded islands such as Aruba, as well as exotic places such as China and India. But he had yet to venture to Europe. Jace knew it was a matter of a few months before he explored that continent too. And for that, he couldn't wait. Couldn't wait to face the new world and meet people, especially Valentine.

God, if only he had been capable of killing Valentine back then . . .

Jace shook his head of the thoughts and absently reached under his pillow to find his iPhone. He unlocked the screen with a swipe and went straight to his contacts. His mouth pulled up into a smile when he found the person he was looking for: _Shorty (aka Clary)_.

Jace knew he should probably keep away from his partner (unless it was absolutely necessary he be with her), but he clicked on her name anyway. What did it matter? He only wanted to talk to her. And if Jace Wayland wanted to talk to someone, he would do his damndest to get what he wanted.

**From: Jace Wayland**

**To: Shorty**

_Greetings, Sleeping Beauty._

Jace set his phone down on the bedside table and slid off the mattress. He made his way over to the other side of the room and carried the duffel bag back to his bed. Jace unzipped the bag and checked for clothes and other necessary items he needed for the trip.

A buzz sounded from his phone, distracting him. Jace picked it up and smirked. So maybe Clary wasn't awake earlier. But at least she was now.

**From: Shorty**

**To: Jace Wayland**

_What do you want?_

Jace chuckled. He could almost hear her annoyance through text, if it was possible to hear it.

**From: Jace Wayland**

**To: Shorty**

_You need to wake up._

Her reply came back instantly.

**From: Shorty**

**To: Jace Wayland**

_It's only 4:30 . . . I can sleep for at least 2 more hours._

**From: Jace Wayland**

**To: Shorty**

_Make that 1.5 hours. I'll be driving you to the airport._

**From: Shorty**

**To: Jace Wayland**

_Good night, Jace._

**From: Jace Wayland**

**To: Shorty**

_7, sharp. I'll be at your doorstep. _

**From: Shorty**

**To: Jace Wayland**

_Okay, Mr. Bossy. _

Jace smiled and placed his phone back in its original spot, then continued with his inspection. He sorted through his clothes and paused as he came across his seraph blade. He picked it up and traced the runes on the weapon. The familiar wave of excitement rushed through him as it always did whenever he held a weapon in hand. Jace twirled the blade easily, remembering the last time he did that he was facing Clary in a battle.

"Jonathan?"

Jace looked up and half-turned to find Michael standing in the doorway. "Hello, father."

Michael was already dressed in a dark suit, with his hair slicked back. He adjusted his tie and cleared his throat. "I wasn't aware that you would be up so early."

Jace fully turned and shrugged. "Couldn't sleep."

"Ah, well, I'm glad you're awake. I have something to give you."

Jace cocked his brow but stayed silent.

Michael pulled out a ring from his pocket and handed to his son.

Jace took the object and stared at it. The ring was thick and silver, and had one cut going through it. But other than that, it looked simple, with no designs on it whatsoever.

"What's this?"

Michael studied Jace's face for a few moments before answering. "It's a ring that can save lives. Made from Heaven. The only one of its kind left," he said at last.

Jace was stunned. He held something magical, something very important, something that could save someone. He didn't know what to feel about it. He didn't know what to think about it. Why had his father given him this? Especially now?

"This isn't just a mission for fun and games. It's very dangerous. The ring you're holding," Michael nodded at it, "can save only one life. I have a strong feeling you'll need it. I do not know when or where, but you will. Use it wisely, Jace."

"How does it work?" Jace asked, his voice low, and slid the ring on his third finger on his right hand. Earlier, it looked like it would be a little small for Jace, but as soon as it touched his skin, the ring adjusted itself perfectly according to his finger.

"Did you notice where the ring splits in half?"

"Yeah," he nodded, tracing the jagged line with his thumb.

"All you need to do is think of the person you wish to save - whether it be yourself or anyone else - and instantly, liquid will pour down from that cut. Have the person drink the substance, and they won't die." There was a pause. "And one more thing."

Jace looked up. "Yeah?"

Michael put a hand on Jace's shoulder and gave it an assuring squeeze. "I want you to promise me something," he said, his voice colored with concern.

Jace looked at his father and, for the first time, noticed the startling difference in his appearance. He had dark circles under his eyes and his face was almost pale under the moonlight.

Michael sighed defeatedly. "I know I haven't been the best father, but you are my son. I need you to promise me to keep yourself safe. I won't be there to-"

"Dad." Jace cut him off. He hadn't seen this side of Michael since he was ten years old. It made Jace feel as if he was that age again, and that was something he couldn't feel. He couldn't let himself feel that. Not if he wanted to bring Valentine down.

But his father had never asked anything from him. The least Jace could do was give him that. "I promise."

ζ:Ω:ζ:Ω:ζ

"Clary, wake up!" Someone's voice came from outside her bedroom door.

Clary groaned and pulled her blanket over her head, trying to block the noise that threatened to break the sleeping spell she was under.

"Yeah, it's time to leave!" Another voice spoke, banging on her door.

She clenched her eyes shut once more, before throwing away the cover and glancing at the clock. The large red numbers blinked angrily at her. _6:30. Oh, crap. _Jace had said he would pick her up at 7 sharp, and she wasn't even close to being ready yet. What was she going to do? She needed to shower, get ready-

"Will you open the door already? My arms are getting tired," her best friend's voice interrupted her mini freak-out.

A snort. "Simon, you're a loser." This sounded like Izzy.

"Coming," Clary yelled, sliding off her bed, and ran across the room. She threw open the door and found her friends staring at her.

Simon opened and closed his mouth, but no words came out. Izzy, on the other hand, just pointed at the mess of tangles that was Clary's hair and asked, "What is _that_?" Her tone was full of disgust.

"What?" Clary self-consciously matted down the wild curls.

"Never mind," Izzy said, and stalked inside Clary's room, pulling Simon behind her. "You realize Jace will be here in 30 minutes, don't you?"

"I, uh . . ."

Isabelle rolled her eyes. "Just go get ready. Have you packed everything you need?"

Clary bit her lip. "Bits of it. I was going to finish this morning."

"Okay . . ." the other girl said slowly. "Simon and I will fix that while _you _go and freshen up."

Clary threw a grateful glance at her two friends and scurried inside the bathroom.

She quickly took out her toothbrush and toothpaste and proceeded to make her mouth minty fresh. Once finished, she shed her clothes and stepped into the shower, making sure to take as little time as possible.

After she was done, she turned off the water and reached for the towel to dry herself. Clary hoped to God she wasn't going to be late. If that happened, she didn't know what the consequences would be. Maybe she'd get suspended, or worse, kicked out from the Academy forever.

Clary wrapped herself in the white towel and walked over to the mirror on her wall. She took out a brush and tried to comb through the tangles. When the red curls didn't obey, she gave up and threw her hair up in a ponytail.

Her bright green eyes, she noticed, looked more tired than they should. She felt anything but that. Clary was more nervous and excited than anything else. Excited to go out and fight. But nervous about her partner. Why did he have to be so . . . _him_? So strong, so confident, so . . . beautiful.

No, she couldn't think about that. She had enough on her plate to think about. So without wasting another minute, she opened the door and froze.

There was a third person standing in her room, talking to Simon. His back was facing her, but Clary could identify that back, that mess of glorious blond curls, that confident posture, anywhere. It was him. _Jace._ He was dressed completely in black. Black jeans. Black shirt. Black shoes.

Clary trembled, and with sudden realization, she looked down and noticed she was only wearing a towel that barely covered her thighs. Clary felt her cheeks warm and she was about to lock herself in the bathroom when she heard her name being called.

It was Izzy, shoving clothes in her arms, but Clary was unaware of that. All she felt was another pair of eyes looking at her.

She raised her gaze to Jace, and found him staring at her. His smoldering gold eyes slid down then back up, his mouth curling into a lazy smile, making Clary shiver in response. Too late, she realized everybody had seen her reaction and her cheeks flared even further. Without another word, she ambled inside the bathroom and locked the door, swiftly throwing on whatever Izzy had handed her.

Clary walked over to the mirror and quickly assessed her outfit. She was wearing a pair of dark skinny jeans, with a soft green shirt that brought out her eyes. Simple yet also sophisticated.

Once she was satisfied with what she saw, she opened the door again.

Simon and Izzy talked to Jace as Clary made her way over to them, her stomach full of butterflies. _It wasn't like he saw anything. Everything was covered_. Clary tried to calm herself down.

"I believe we're ready to go," Isabelle said, throwing a smile in Clary's direction.

"Yeah," Clary responded, avoiding looking at Jace at all costs.

"All right, well, I'll see you at the airport, Clary," Simon said.

She nodded.

"Me too. And your luggage is already in Jace's car," Izzy added.

"Thank you, Izzy." Clary gave the other girl a genuine smile.

"It was my pleasure. Really," she winked.

And before she knew it, Simon and Izzy left. It was just her and Jace now. In her room. Oh by the Angel, if this weren't so awkward already. She stifled a groan.

"Got everything you need?" Jace asked, breaking the silence.

"Yeah," Clary looked around once more at her room-her safe haven that had always been there for her, but now would be left alone for who knew how long-before turning back to face Jace.

Both of them headed down the stairs, when Clary paused at the last step. There was no sound in her house. No sound of her mother or Luke. She frowned. Where had they gone?

"I saw them leaving when I came in," Jace answered her unasked question.

"Do you know where?"

Something flashed across Jace's face, but it was gone as quickly as it'd come. "No. You can call them at the airport."

"Oh, okay." Clary furrowed her brows at Jace's response, but chose to not question him further, and followed him out the door.

ζ:Ω:ζ:Ω:ζ

Maybe it was the fact that Clary had forgotten Jace owned a black Ferrari, but Clary, nevertheless, stopped in her tracks when she saw it on her driveway. She remembered, just a day ago, she would have given everything and anything to be in this Ferrari with Jace. And now that dream was going to come true.

"Are you waiting for me to carry you to the car?"

Clary looked at Jace. "No, I was just admiring it, that's all."

Jace chuckled. "Well, she is a beauty."

_No kidding._

Jace opened the passenger door for her, and Clary stared at it with her mouth hanging open. Of course the door didn't open like a regular car's would. Instead, the doors opened upward. Before she could let out a little squeal, Clary clambered inside and took deep breaths. _Just a car, just a car. _She kept chanting to herself.

Jace sat beside her, with one hand hovering over the steering wheel. "You look like you're about to faint," he commented, scanning her face.

She crossed her arms over her chest. "Just drive. I'll be fine."

He cocked a brow, and a rush of jealousy enveloped Clary. She wished she could do that.

"I would prefer you don't throw up before we leave."

She glared at him. "I'm fine."

He shrugged. "Whatever you say."

Jace put the car in reverse and easily maneuvered it out of the driveway.

"There's something for you in the backseat," said Jace as he pressed his foot on the accelerator, and the car shot forward.

Confused, Clary twisted her body to look behind her, and found a paper bag lying on the seat. With a little bit of effort, Clary reached for the bag. When she opened it, her mouth watered. It was a sandwich, from her favorite restaurant in Manhattan.

She unwrapped it and bit into the delicious bread. She let out an involuntary moan, then immediately felt her cheeks warming up.

Jace chuckled. "I take it you like it?"

"How did you know it was my favorite?" Clary asked, her mouth full of food.

He stopped at a red light and handed her a napkin from the compartment in front of Clary.

"Thanks," she mumbled, wiping the corners of her mouth with it.

The light turned to green and the car revved to life again.

"Simon told me," he spoke at last.

"Oh." Clary wondered when Jace had talked to her best friend, besides this morning. As far as Clary knew, Jace and Simon were barely acquaintances. Simon didn't talk to Jace because he didn't like Jace's personality, and Jace . . . just thought Simon was a dork. Maybe even worse things, but she didn't want to hear it. Not if it meant insulting one of her favorite people in the world.

She sighed softly and leaned her forehead against the cool glass window. She was exhausted after all the rushing that had happened this morning and just wanted a little bit of peace and quiet before the flight. Clary closed her eyes and let the quiet music in the background lull her to sleep.

ζ:Ω:ζ:Ω:ζ

Jace pulled the car into the parking lot near the airport. He cut off the engine and leaned back in his seat. His eyes drew to the clock on the dashboard that flashed _6:47_. They still had time. He'd made sure to have enough time.

The soft snores coming from his partner caused a small smile to pull up at the corners of his mouth. He turned his body to face her.

He tried to keep his thoughts appropriate as he studied her. She was curled up in the seat, her legs underneath her and her hands clasped together, resting on her lap. She had a hint of a smile playing on her soft, pink lips. Her coppery-colored lashes brushed against the top of her cheekbones, and . . . his dropped his gaze back to her mouth once again. It looked inviting, so damn inviting. The color, the softness-

He swore under his breath and looked away. He needed to control his hormones before they got the better of him. It wouldn't help anyone in the least if that happened. Well it might help his hormones to stop raging, but Jace could take care of that without involving Clary. Perhaps Maia would be able to help . . .

"Jace?" Clary's gentle voice caused him to look back at her.

"Good morning, Sleeping Beauty," he said as she rubbed her eyes sleepily and looked at him. A lock of red hair fell into her face and she brushed it away with annoyance, but it came back down again.

"How long have I been asleep?"

Jace pulled his hand up and tucked the curl behind her ear. "Not that long."

Clary's cheeks turned bright red.

Oh, shit. Why the hell did he have to do that?

"We should probably get going," Clary said a little too quickly.

Jace smirked and noticed her face flamed even more. "Let's go."

ζ:Ω:ζ:Ω:ζ

After many protests from Clary, she let Jace carry most of her bags. It puzzled her why he was being like this. She still thought this "nice" Jace would change into the one that thought of her as a little girl.

"Do you just really enjoy standing or is that an indication for me to carry you?" Jace called over his shoulder as Clary hurried to his side.

"What's with you and carrying me?" Clary volleyed back.

Jace's lips twitched but he said nothing.

There was something nagging in the bottom of her stomach, but Clary couldn't pinpoint what it was. And then she remembered. She had to call her mom.

Clary fished out her phone from the pockets of her jeans and called Jocelyn. The phone rang and she waited for her mother to pick up.

Something was off. She could feel it in her gut. It wasn't like Jocelyn to not freak out about Clary. One of the things that bothered Clary about her was how protective she was of her daughter. But now, now that she hadn't heard from her in Angel knows how long, Clary was worried.

"Hi, sweetie," Jocelyn said, her voice sending a relief through Clary.

"Hi, mom. Where are you?" She nervously chewed on her bottom lip and followed Jace inside the airport. She ignored the people passing her, and many others running into her as she dragged her suitcase behind her.

"I was picking up a few things for the wedding. Where are you? Shouldn't you still be in bed?"

Clary furrowed her brows. Was she joking or was she serious? "I'm leaving for a few months, remember?"

There was a short pause. "Oh, I'm so sorry I couldn't see you before you left, baby! Do you want me to come over to the airport to see you off?"

Clary glanced at Jace, who was currently getting the tickets from a male sitting behind a desk. What would her mother think if she saw him? She didn't want to risk anything.

"No, that's okay. Don't worry about it. I'm sure I can keep in touch with you the next few months. I miss you," she added.

"I miss you too. But have fun, it's a good experience to have."

Clary sighed. "I love you. I have to go."

"I love you too. Call me when you land."

She swallowed. "I will." And then she hung up. Tears welled up in her eyes and she blinked them back. This wasn't the time to cry. She could cry later. Just not now.

Without further delay, she set off toward Jace. Her future for the mission. Her partner. Her possible savior. Clary pushed away the thoughts swarming in her brain about her mother and replaced them with the mission. She was about to have fun. And possibly die in the process, but she was going to have fun. With the mission, and Jace. Because he was definitely going to pay for what he did to her in the car, whether or not it was intentional.

With a smile on her face, she set off to her destiny; even though she wasn't in the least bit sure she was going to come back.

* * *

There you have it. The mission is about to start. Yay! But, I wonder who the lady was that was talking to Clary? Was it actually her mother? Maybe. Guess we'll have to wait and found out.

A huge thank you to my fantastic beta, for getting this back to me so quickly. You rock. :)

Also, thank you for all the reviews. Please keep them coming. I love them as much as I love rainbows and butterflies. And trust me, I do love them.

See you all soon. xoxo


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